Fire and Ice
by jadedbluerose
Summary: Merlin feels lost in his Destiny; nobody else knows what it's like to fear for your life in your own home. Danny is tired of hiding what he is from the world, of being afraid to go home at night. Inadvertently, Danny falls through a portal in the Zone, and is immediately confronted by a stranger with bright blue eyes and a flame in his hand. (Post Merlin S4, No PP)
1. Prologue

Prologue

Merlin huffed as he made his way through the greenery. Gaius had sent him on another errand to collect herbs just as he got back to his chambers for the evening. After a whole day of running around after the prat, the last thing Merlin had wanted to do was go out and fetch herbs, but once more it was _urgent_, and admittedly anything was better than having to clean the leech tank again. So Merlin had taken his leave and set out into the forest just as the sun was setting.

Merlin felt frustrated, it had been four months since Morgana's second failed coup for Camelot and the subsequent battle. The aftermath of which had restored Arthur's confidence as a King, given Gwen her well deserved marriage to Arthur, and once more proven the worth of Arthur's Knights. That said, it was a hollow victory for Merlin; he had had to kill Agravaine by himself. While it was necessary to kill Arthur's betrayer of an uncle he felt terrible for having done so. He hated using his magic to kill, but more and more often he was being forced to.

More than that, nothing had really changed for him. Merlin was still the poor farmer's son, the manservant to the king, even after all these years. Gwen had become queen and rightly so. Four (apparent) commoners had been promoted to knights, proving Arthur's nobility of spirit. And Arthur himself had become a well respected King, one whom his people loved and cherished. For the most part Merlin had guided them all towards their destiny. But his magic, the one thing that had subtly guided and helped all of them, still had to hide in the shadows.

Magic itself was still banned on pain of death. Although the decision Merlin was most proud of Arthur for was the decision to respect the Druids. That was a step in the right direction, but it still left Merlin feeling hollow. None but Gaius and his mother knew of his magic. Every other confidant he had was taken from him. First Merlin lost his childhood friend Will, then the love of his life Freya, finally Lancelot who nobly sacrificed himself to the realm beyond the Veil.

Merlin sighed, coming out into a moonlit clearing and flopping down in the grass, breathing the scent of the summer night. The soft murmurs of the nocturnal wildlife brought life to the night, and Merlin's magic thrummed in symphony with the melody. This was something he loved; the way his magic reached out to nature to the point where he could almost feel the growth in the plants and the heartbeat of owls. This was one of the few remaining pleasures that he could cherish. It was so natural and innocent; he only wished that Arthur could see this aspect of magic. How it was a natural part of the world, like the coming of winter or the fires in the summer.

Looking up at the stars Merlin felt a sense of hopelessness. He had honestly tried to change things, to help Arthur see the truth about magic. But no matter what he did the idea that 'all magic is evil' stayed the same. There was just no way to bring Arthur around, to get him to see the beauty of magic. And that single fact hurt the most. Every time, every single time Merlin came close to getting Arthur to come around some spiteful sorcerer came along and ruined it. If it wasn't some sorcerer it was a rogue magical creature, and if it wasn't that it was Merlin himself, sacrificing his magic to keep Arthur a good person. Sometimes he questioned it, wondering when it was all going to pay off, but at the moment it seemed a lot like that day could never arrive.

The Great Dragon, Kilgharrah had always said his time would come, that it was part of his destiny as Emrys; Guardian Warlock to the Once and Future King. But it was hard to see that now. Not when everyone else seemed to have lived up to their destiny and Merlin was still the same. Same brown coat, same worn shirt, same neckerchief and same boring manservant, moving around in the shadows, fearful that someone would find out what he was. Sometimes he felt he'd be better off if he was completely invisible.

Merlin sighed, blowing his hair to the side. He wasn't usually one to brood; he usually just let everything slide off him, letting the world pass him by as he happily grinned at it. But he was tired, and as he looked at the stars he couldn't help but wish that there was someone who understood that. The fear of having to hide who you are from your friends and family, knowing that if they found out they could very well kill you. Someone who knew what it was like to feel different and alone. Someone like him who could help make him feel less isolated.

Looking once more at the moon Merlin stood up. He hastily plucked the herbs Gaius wanted, lighting his way with the soft glow of magic as he found everything he needed. Sighing heavily he turned back towards the castle, its tall silhouette visible in the distance against the night sky. Merlin shook his head and begun to pluck his way through the trees. A fox's cry echoed off in the distance as he headed toward the tree-line. He gave the clearing one last fleeting glance as he turned away, abandoning his temporary respite.

Suddenly he stilled; his magic jumping to attention. There was something wrong in the night air, and his magic roiled against the strange invasion. It felt powerful, and cold. It was wrong in a way that Merlin hadn't felt since Morgana tore open the Veil. Merlin shuddered violently at the memory; he hadn't been able to use his magic against the Dorocha. He had been too frozen by fear, cut off by the unnaturalness of lingering death. The only thing that kept them back was fire, and even that hadn't deterred them for long. On impulse Merlin summoned flames to his hand, ready to attack if need be.

He whirled around, searching for the source of the disturbance. His eyes widened as a swirling pool of green opened in the air before him.

* * *

AN: Okay, so I'm really uninspired for JAMF right now, so I figured I'd try something else. Hope you enjoy the taster. This is set post season 4 of Merlin, and PP hasn't happened in the DP timeline.


	2. Mǣte Spearca

Chapter 1

Mǣte Spearca

Disclaimer: I claim no ownership of Danny Phantom or Merlin

Danny Fenton frowned as he flew through the field of bright green and purple doors that made up the Ghost Zone. Of late he had been feeling very displaced, and he was tired of it. He was tired of late nights fighting ghosts, catching them in a thermos and sending them back to the Zone, only for them to return the next day. He was tired of the disappointment in his teachers' eyes as he slipped out of class again. He was tired of dodging the blasts from the GIW, Valerie, even his parents. All the hunters who thought he was nothing but an emotionless ectoplasmic blob. He was tired of going to bed at one only to wake at three to catch another ghost. He was tired of the despair in his parents' eyes when they got another call from the school to say he was in trouble again. He was tired of his secret double life.

He was just plain tired.

He had decided to retreat into the Ghost Zone to have a refreshing explore, but had gone in his human form for safety. After three years of living, existing, as s strange cross between two incompatible species he had learned near full control in both his human and ghost forms. His ghost powers were easier to control in his ghost form, and some things he just couldn't do as a human, but in the Ghost Zone it was safer for him to operate as a human. Some part of him loved being in here, sure it was creepy, but there was something in the energy of the place that made him feel complete in a way that being in the Human World just didn't. Danny sighed as he passed by a large purple archway; he was tempted to look inside, but at the moment he was happier just drifting.

While part of him loved being in here, another part of him hated the inherent wrongness of the place. There were times where his status as a half ghost really got to him; his two halves were never truly meant to mix, and while usually the two coexisted perfectly, there were times where his human and ghostly instincts warred with each other. His ghost half would love nothing better than to just stay in the Zone forever, away from the troubles of the Human World, but is human half demanded that he be in the living world to experience sunlight and to keep everyone he cared for safe.

Ever since he had met Frostbite and learned to master his ghost core he had just felt so much happier in the Zone. Here he was free of the worry of being accepted for what he was. While a lot of the ghosts may disagree with him, they didn't care too much about the fact that he was only half-ghost. But if his secret was ever found in the human world... Danny shuddered at the images that leapt to mind. Faceless men digging away at him, lines of beakers filled with his blood and ectoplasm, endless tests and lots and lots of painful experiments.

Sometimes he wished there was someone like him, who knew what it was like to be terrified of going home, knowing that if you were ever discovered that it would be your end. He had tried to change things, he really had. But the idea that 'all ghosts are evil' remained no matter what he did. He couldn't do anything to change things, his parents were just too stubborn, and none of the other ghost hunters could see past the end of their ecto-guns. He just couldn't change things, no matter how much he wanted to.

Danny continued floating, it had been several hours since he'd retreated into the Zone, and he should probably be heading back, but he really didn't want to. Danny sighed, floating past a large grey rock formation. This place was so exotic, there were thousands of ghosts floating through the endless abyss, but it was always quiet until you visited someone's lair. Danny shook his head, his raven bangs falling into his eyes. He was so tired of feeling alone in the world.

Frowning Danny decided to head back. He didn't know how it worked, but he somehow always knew how to find the portal home. He flew off for a few minutes, the few ghosts he passed payed him no heed as they continued on their way. Danny figured he was probably ten minutes from his portal when he jerked, feeling a tremor in the air as a natural portal opened in front of him. Danny was moving too fast to stop, and he found himself flying through the portal and coming to a skidding halt as he landed heavily on the grass. Danny felt the cool ectoplasmic energy of the Ghost Zone disappear as the portal closed behind him.

Danny looked up; the stars in the sky automatically told him that he was back in the Human World, but at the same time it felt different. The stars themselves were slightly differently arranged to the normal Amity Park skyline. It was also very dark; Danny could automatically tell that he was nowhere near any big cities due to the lack of light pollution. The Milky Way was beautifully spread across the heavens, brightly twinkling above him. But there were more differences still. The very air around him seemed so much more... alive than anything he had ever felt back home. It was practically humming with energy that warmly touched his ghost core. Danny couldn't help the smile that came to his lips.

"Um, excuse me." Danny heard a voice pierce the night, and his eyes instantly went to its source. Even on the blackest night his eyesight was better than any human's, but the moon's glow was bright in its own regard. The young man stood just before the tree-line, his dark raven locks contrasting with his pale skin. He had bright blue eyes, sparkling oddly in the moonlight. That strange energy seemed to resonate not only through, but from the young man. But most interesting was the fact that he was holding a live flame in his hand.

"What are you doing here?" The young man questioned. To most people it wouldn't have sounded intimidating, but Danny felt the way the energy in the air thrummed with the man's changing emotions. It was beyond anything Danny had ever experienced before, even with ghosts who changed the colour of the sky around them. The man was still fairly young, maybe in his early twenties to Danny's seventeen, but the sheer power that seemed to roil around him spoke wonders. He sounded English, maybe Irish, and Danny desperately hoped that the portal had only dumped him in the States where he had chanced upon an English man.

"Um," Danny replied, awkwardly rubbing the back of his neck. "I think I got a little lost on the way home." Danny answered, looking sadly back at the place the portal had been.

"Your accent is strange. I've never heard the like." The man said, his eyebrows creasing in confusion, but it cleared as he shook his head. "You should know that all magic is banned here."

"Magic?" Danny asked curiously. All he'd ever known was ghosts, but he had seen enough in the ghost world to not dismiss the idea immediately. His parents would, but being half-ghost tends to shift perceptions of what is impossible. The young man looked back at him, the ball of flame disappearing from his hand.

"How you managed to appear in the middle of the Darkling Woods." The man stated as if it were obvious. Danny shook his head.

"That wasn't magic; it was a naturally occurring portal between the Ghost Zone and the Real World." Danny said, watching as the young man blinked. "Um, where is the Darkling Woods exactly?" Danny asked, realising that he still had no clue where he was. Sure he could navigate a bit using the stars, but he had to know where he was starting from.

"It's on the borders of the Citadel of Camelot; the capitol of one of the Five Kingdoms of Albion." The young man offered, now eyeing Danny warily. Danny blinked he'd never heard of Albion before.

"Albion, where's that?" Danny asked before his mind came to a screeching halt. "Wait a minute, Camelot?"

The blue eyed man stared at him for a moment. "Yes, Camelot. And since it is obvious that you're a sorcerer I'll have to ask you to leave. As I said before, all magic is banned."

"Camelot, as in Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table Camelot?" Danny pressed. If he really was in Camelot then he was in a lot of trouble. Clockwork would be out for his ectoplasm, the Observants council would have his head. Camelot was supposed to be a myth. The only part of the legend that remained was Tintagel, and even there it was only rumours. If he was in Camelot... Danny gulped.

The blue eyed man raised a questioning eyebrow. "Where else would you be? No sorcerer ever comes here by accident, and while your method of arrival is unusual I must warn you that Camelot and King Arthur do not take kindly to sorcerers or magic of any kind."

"I'm a lot further from home than... Pariah, why is it always me who gets into messes with portals!?" Danny shook his head. He needed to get home, back to Amity Park. But he had no idea when or where a portal would open, and he still didn't know how to do that on his own. More than that, the usual feeling of the Zone, the cool presence that followed him everywhere was much weaker than it had ever been, like a stream compared to an ocean. It made Danny worried, he couldn't even feel home properly anymore.

"I don't know what you mean, but you should leave." The blue eyed man warned. Danny turned to face him, meeting him firmly in the eyes. Danny was surprised; in a way those eyes reminded Danny of his own when he looked in the mirror, the slightly haunted look of someone with a dark past that must be kept hidden. But Danny was scared, he was cut off from his only way home, and the man was obviously trying to send him away.

"I don't know how to get home." Danny said quietly to the air, defeat set in like a blanket over him. Here he was, stuck in a time lost to legend and he couldn't get home because the portal had closed.

"Where do you come from? If it is one of the neighbouring kingdoms I can help you get there." The blue eyed man offered kindly, despite his earlier threat.

"It's a lot farther than that, over the sea. If I'm where I think I am, my... home won't even be found for a thousand years." Danny whispered, seating himself down on the ground. He had to think things through, there had to be some way to get home. But Clockwork had told him that there were few portals that opened before the Dark Ages, something about the Zone not being stable enough yet. With the way the ambient ectoplasm felt Danny would believe it. That meant that unless he found some way...

"Magic." Danny said, looking up to the young man. "You said that magic is banned here? Is there anywhere it isn't?"

The young man scoffed. "After King Uther's Purge the Five Kingdoms all seem to despise those of the Old Religion. King Arthur has granted clemency to the Druids, but there are few practitioners left in the open. If you are looking for a Master to apprentice yourself to I suggest you abandon your quest."

Danny shook his head once more. Things didn't seem to be looking up, and this young man's obvious distrust was not helpful. "I'm not looking for a Master; I just want to go home." Danny replied. It was probably time to try a different tack. "Look, sorry. I think we got off on the wrong foot." Danny stood up, offering his hand to the young man. Hopefully he wouldn't mess history up too much if he introduced himself to the man. From what little Danny knew of the time the man was a commoner, judging by his clothes. "I'm Danny" he introduced himself as the young man tentatively shook his hand. It was a fairly safe bet that Danny wasn't dealing with any of the legends. Not King Arthur, or Lancelot or Gwaine. And if magic was banned there was no way he was dealing with...

"Nice to meet you." The young man said, shaking his hand. "I'm Merlin."

Danny froze.

* * *

Merlin looked at the young boy facing him. There was something odd about him. More than the fact than he came from a 'portal' that felt magically similar to the realm beyond the Veil. It was curious, and Merlin couldn't quite place it. He felt like he was nearly as in touch with magical energy as Merlin himself was, but at the same time the magical presence coming off him was colder than any other sorcerer he'd met. Agravaine had had little magical talent, but his magic felt slimy. Morgana's felt cold and dark, oppressive like the dark bogs where occasionally prisoners were executed.

But this boy's magic felt stranger still, it was paradoxical. It felt closer to the raw energy of the Great Dragon, but at the same time was benign like a unicorn's. It was cold, like the dorocha had been, almost touched by death. But at the same time it had an almost protective touch to it, closer to the cool depths of a lake in winter or the villia, who had healed him when he had been touched by the dorocha. Merlin couldn't figure it out at all, he just intuitively _knew_ that the boy possessed magic. But the most interesting thing about him was the way he had frozen up when Merlin introduced himself.

Of course he had gotten that reaction when some of the younger druids met him. They were awed by the name 'Emrys'. But for someone to have that reaction to his birth name was a new experience. Danny was definitely strange. His accent and the way he spoke were unfamiliar, and some of the things he said didn't quite make sense. The Gaul's lived over the sea, but that was hardly an impossible journey, yet Danny had made it sound as though his home was much further than that. Merlin even thought he'd heard the boy say something about a thousand years from now, which from what he knew of magic was impossible.

Merlin could slow down time and freeze it, but he had never read anything about moving through time, and the sheer amount of energy needed to go a thousand years was beyond anything the Old Religion could manage. Perhaps Kilgharrah would know more about it. But then there was the fact that he had known about Arthur and the Round Table. Most of Camelot knew about the Commoner Knights and the battle that had led to their knighthood, but very few understood the significance of the Round Table. Arthur had suggested recreating it in Camelot, but the council had yet to debate and approve of it.

So how did this boy know about it? He looked to be six or so summers younger than him, and Merlin was confused by the inconsistencies of what he'd asked. He had known Camelot, but not Albion, had known about King Arthur, but seemed honestly surprised about Uther's purge on magic and seemed to know him as 'Merlin' and not 'Emrys'. And then there was what he wore. The boy bore a white tunic, a strangely bright red emblem on his chest, but it was of a fabric that Merlin had never seen before. His breeches were a shade of blue that he had only seen the nobility wear, and the weave of that too was strange. Everything about him seemed strange.

Merlin by now was very curious about the young boy, from his strange magic to his eclectic knowledge. He had tried to warn him off, lately any sorcerer he met seemed to have it in for Camelot, but this Danny hadn't shown any hostility. In fact something about his blue eyes reminded Merlin of himself, he had seen a similar look in his own eyes when he passed the mirror in Arthur's chambers. It was a haunted look, one that had crept up on Merlin over the years as he faced off hordes of revenge driven sorcerers, two seemingly immortal armies and uncounted betrayers to the throne. He wondered where this Danny, who looked barely into his manhood, had come by that look.

But that didn't stop him being friendly, and even if he turned out to be foe it tended to throw people off kilter when Merlin was friendly to them. "You still there?" Merlin asked, waving a hand in front of the boy's glazed eyes. "You froze up for a minute."

The boy shook his head, sending Merlin a confused look. "You're Merlin?" Danny asked softly in a very small voice.

"Yep, that'd be me. One and only manservant to his Highness, King Prat." Merlin beamed, ignoring the way the boy's confused look.

"And magic is banned?" The boy pressed.

Merlin frowned, his eyes dropping to the forest floor for a moment. "Yes." He answered simply.

"But, if Arthur's King and you're Merlin then how..." The boy broke off rubbing his hair. "I really am a long way from home."

"Where is home exactly?" Merlin asked.

"Amity Park." The boy supplied. "Not that that helps, it's in a country that won't be founded for over a millennium, across an ocean that no one will try to cross for five hundred years, and that's assuming I'm even close to guessing when I am." The boy shook his head ruefully. "Clockwork, how am I gonna get home?"

Merlin stared at the boy, unsure of what to make of that statement.

"It's not like I can even get back into the Zone, and even if I did, I don't think it would be _my_ Zone." The boy rambled, seeming to forget that Merlin was even there. "Everything here feels different, strange. And you're _Merlin_." The boy finished, seemingly exasperated. He shook his head.

"Why do you sound so surprised by my name?" Merlin asked genuinely curious.

"Just am, guess I recognised it from somewhere." The boy answered, but Merlin could sense the half truth in it. "Clockwork's gonna kill me if I don't get home. I shouldn't _be_ here."

"You could try just opening that thing again." Merlin suggested, but he was unsure. That 'portal' thing had felt so close to the tear in the Veil that had been worried that he was going to end up facing the dorocha again, but instead this strangely clothed boy fell out. A boy who from the sounds of it believed he came from the future.

"I didn't open it, they just open by themselves, and if you fall through you have to wait for the next one." Danny replied sadly. Merlin was suspicious, after all the only way the Veil had been opened was when Morgana had sacrificed her sister. Lancelot had had to sacrifice himself to get the thing closed again, and here this boy had just fallen out of something that felt remarkably similar. Yet he was just complaining about when the next one would open. Merlin was at a loss, really he had no clue what to do about the boy. And there was only one person, well being, that he went to when he was completely lost like this.

He just hoped that Danny wasn't scared of dragons.

* * *

AN: Okay, so I was going to hold this chapter back for a bit, but then I watched 5.03 and thought; okay I can't resist putting up a chapter where Merlin meets a benign ghost. And okay, so it's not the best chapter, but you get to see the boys' first impressions of each other. Hope you don't mind the boys being able to sense stuff about each other; it makes sense in my mind.

I hope they don't seem too OOC, but hey, it's early days.

Translation; Mǣte Spearca – Small Sparks

Cheers,

Bluerose


	3. Winterlǣcan Hrīm

Chapter 2

Winterlǣcan Hrīm

Disclaimer: I own neither Danny Phantom nor Merlin

Laughter rolled through the clearing in thunderous peals as Kilgharrah stared down at the younger boy. It wasn't exactly what Merlin had expected when he called to the Dragon for advice, but it was better than him trying to roast the boy. As soon as the dragon had landed he had taken one look at Danny and then broken down into laughter, and hadn't stopped for over five minutes. Strangely enough the boy hadn't reacted much to the sudden appearance of a dragon, only cocking his head in curiosity at the large golden beast.

"Um, sorry?" Danny said, finally breaking the spell that the Dragon's laughter had cast on the clearing.

"Young Warlock," Kilgharrah said as he turned to face Merlin, temporarily ignoring the younger boy. "You do find company in the strangest of people."

"What do you mean by that?" Merlin pressed, slipping into the dragon's tongue as he eyed the young dark haired boy. The dragon smiled at him, a strange smile that Merlin had almost forgotten since the days when he had first sought the Dragon in the caverns beneath Camelot.

"Tell me what you have seen of this young boy." Kilgharrah urged, sending another knowing glance over at Danny.

"He introduced himself as Danny." Merlin began, still keeping the conversation in the dragon's tongue. "He appeared in a smaller clearing closer to Camelot, saying that he's from the future. I didn't even know that was possible. But the portal he came through felt similar to the Veil, and his magic feels... strange." Merlin paused, frowning in confusion.

"I rather imagine it does." The dragon replied, his voice carrying an air of superiority that Merlin had hoped he'd lose over time. "Although I suspect that he could tell you why that is. Isn't that right, _Danny_?" The boy started at the direct address, but nodded quickly. Merlin was confused it was almost as though...

"Could you understand what we were saying?" Merlin asked, staring across at the younger boy. Danny nodded once more.

"Yeah, I mean, wasn't I supposed to?"

Merlin blinked before turning once more to face the Dragon. "How can he understand the dragon tongue?"

"It is a gift of his species, Merlin." The dragon answered calmly, still bearing his strange smile. "Something of which he has no doubt been ignorant. The majority of his kind are selfish, _obsessive_ creatures. However they do demonstrate a remarkable aptitude for languages, particularly those of magic."

"His... species?" Merlin pressed, sending a surveying glance at Danny who shifted slightly under his gaze.

"He is a creature of magic Merlin. I am sure you realised this. However, I believe that _Danny_ is an aberration even for his kind. Is that not correct, young _Phantom_?"

Merlin watched as Danny jerked, his blue eyes widening like saucers. "How?" Danny gasped, struggling to regain his composure.

"The dragons you know are not true reflections of my kind." Kilgharrah replied, and Merlin blinked at the reference to other dragons. "You, young Phantom are not meant to _be_ for over a thousand years, but your existence is foretold by Destiny."

"He is Destined?" Merlin interrupted, attracting Kilgharrah's attention back onto him.

"Of sorts." The dragon replied "His coming has not been foretold in the same way as you and your young king; however he is a necessary consequence of what will one day be."

"Necessary consequence? But it was just an accident. A stupid decision on my part." Danny scoffed shaking his head.

"You are right, and you are wrong, young Phantom." The dragon replied smoothly, his golden eyes bearing down on the boy. "While it is true that what happened to you could have become someone else's destiny, what you became was a necessary sacrifice to the Balance."

"The Balance?" Danny puzzled, his eyes betraying his confusion. Merlin still felt a little lost in the conversation, and figured that it was partly due to Kilgharrah's habit of speaking in riddles. But the concept of the Balance was something that he could understand.

"You mean the Balance of Life and Death?" Merlin pressed, looking to Kilgharrah for acknowledgement. When the dragon nodded once in the affirmative he continued. "It is one of the most fundamental laws of nature and magic. For there to be a life there must be a death, the world must always remain in balance. But how does that relate to Danny?"

"He is both the death sacrificed and the life granted." Kilgharrah answered sending Merlin's mind reeling. "You see, when Morgana tore open the Veil between our world and that of the dead she disturbed the Balance. The sacrifice to the Calleich was enough to close the tear, yes; however the damage had already been done. She permanently weakened the barrier, and in allowing the spirits from beyond to enter our world she gave some of them the strength to break through."

The dragon paused, looking across at Danny considering. "By _Danny's_ time the barrier will be weakened to the point where it is possible for the spirits to break through of their own accord. And this in itself will create an imbalance. Unfortunately a sacrifice to the Calleich will not be enough to restore the natural order, and so a greater price will be taken; a permanent opening, completely manageable by those on both sides in order to stabilise the barrier between the worlds. This will be the only solution to Morgana's ill considered plans."

Merlin frowned, his feelings over Morgana mixing with growing understanding. "But to make such a link..."

"A sacrifice would have to be made, yes. One who would walk between the two worlds for the sole purpose of maintaining the balance. It could have been anyone, and I'm sure _Danny_ can tell you of the first failed attempt to create such a link. However he was the one chosen; gifted by the powers of the Old Religion and cursed by them. Anymore of his story he will have to tell you. However know that it is no chance meeting that he was called to _you_, young Warlock."

Merlin blinked, looking over at Danny who had visibly paled. The boy looked stunned, but managed to regain his composure quickly enough. "So it wasn't an accident? What happened..."

"It could have happened to anyone in your time." The dragon acknowledged. "However, would you choose to force someone else to walk your path?"

"No." Danny answered quickly, shaking his head. "No, definitely not."

"Thus you have something in common with the young Warlock." The dragon replied bluntly. "I cannot tell you how to return to your home, you shall have to be patient and discover the path for yourself. In the meantime, I need hardly caution you about revealing the secrets of the future before they are ready to become known."

Danny nodded once, his lips pressed tightly together. "Perhaps," The dragon added, turning to face Merlin once more. "It is time for Emrys to appreciate a different aspect of the nature of the Balance." The dragon grinned, spreading his wings out before leaping into the sky. It was an abrupt a departure as usual, but Kilgharrah would choose to leave once he had said all that needed to be said. Merlin turned to face the young boy, there were still a lot of questions to be answered but perhaps they would be best answered on the way back to Camelot.

* * *

Danny was musing quietly as he followed the young man, _Merlin_ through the forest. He watched the dark head as the man led him through the woods, stumbling slightly in the darkened undergrowth. Merlin was different than he would have expected. Danny himself had never grown up on the Legends of Arthur and Merlin, but Sam had spent several hours lecturing him about the legend even before he became part ghost. After that it had seemed more important to look into; after all, if the Fright Knight had turned out to be more than legend than who was to say that anything else was nothing more than myth.

But the raven haired man was nothing like the Merlin he had imagined. He had imagined a wrinkly old man in a deep blue robe, wizened eyes and a pointy hat. Or a cloak at the very least. But the real Merlin was just so unassuming; if Danny couldn't sense the power that dwelled within him he would have assumed he was just a peasant. Then again he should know better. It had been barely over two years since his defeat of Pariah Dark and the stories going around the Zone made him out to be a lot older and stronger and overall better than he actually was. And visiting his friends in the Far Frozen always made him feel guilty, as though they were celebrating him for something that he wasn't.

Talking to the dragon had been interesting. He was nothing like Dora or Aragon in their dragon forms. They became bestial, savage. But this dragon had been wise, somewhat reminiscent of Clockwork but in a less grandfatherly way. It was strange; and Danny wasn't entirely sure what to make of half of what had been said. All he really understood was that his accident wasn't so much an accident as a... necessary outcome. He didn't fully understand the concept of the Balance, but parts of it made sense.

"Kilgharrah never said exactly what you are." Merlin commented, breaking Danny out of his musings. The two of them were picking their way through the moonlit forest; Merlin had a blue-white orb floating above his hand to guide the way. Danny paused, but only for a moment. His secret identity probably wouldn't matter so much in this time period. And it was probably safe to say that if he was gonna talk to anyone, Merlin would be a good bet. It was just so hard to even shape the words in his mouth, he'd never actually told anyone before.

"No he didn't." Danny acknowledged, jumping between two tree roots distractedly. "He reminds me of someone back home actually. Or from the Zone... the world beyond the Veil I suppose." He turned around when he realised Merlin had paused.

"So that much was true. I had half hoped that the Veil was closed forever." Merlin sighed sadly.

"Yeah, that's true." Danny shrugged "In my time the barrier between the worlds is ridiculously thin. I have a friend who is able to open it himself. Most of the ... spirits?... that come through try to wreak havoc, can't move on properly from their death I guess. They just slip through the portals. But what he said about the permanent one, I think that's right. I mean, having a permanent opening to the world of the dead in your backyard isn't the best thing in the world, but I know it stops the portals being completely unmanageable everywhere else."

"And you have been to the world beyond the Veil? And returned?" Merlin asked, his brow creased towards him. It looked as though he were searching for something in his eyes but smiled when he didn't find it.

"Yeah." Danny answered. "I mean, not everywhere there. It's pretty big, and there're areas where nobody sane would go. A lot of it's just plain creepy. But there're some places that are safe enough... or will be. Someday."

"I mean, you've been there and you returned safely." Merlin interrupted, stopping Danny's rambling. "You didn't become a wraith or a shade? And you still haven't told me what you actually are."

"Sorry." Danny said, rubbing the back of his neck. "Defence mechanism, rambling on about something small rather than answer the big questions. I'm a halfa. Half human, half ghost." There, it was said. It needed to be, and it was only fair since he knew about Merlin's magic. But it didn't change the fact that this was the first time he'd ever voluntarily admitted it. "It's something I've gotten used to, had to really. Like the dragon said, it's not like I'd ask anyone else to take my place."

Merlin frowned, looking at the dark haired boy. "Is that why your magic feels cold, like the spirits?"

"I guess" Danny replied with a shrug. "I've never thought of it as magic. To be honest you're the first person with magic I've actually met. It's just... ghost powers... to me. That's all of the supernatural that I've ever seen; ghosts. But, now I've met you I'd recognise it. Ghosts make me feel cold; I can always tell when they're around. But you're warm. The air is warm, like sunlight. It's strange, but I guess it's just a different strange to what I'm used to."

Danny frowned. It wasn't like him to be so accepting of things, to go with the flow quite like this. But maybe it had more to do with the fact that he knew he couldn't get home until the next portal decided to open up. He refused to think _if_ one decided to open up. Or maybe it was just the fact that this was Merlin, the most powerful wizard in history.

"And you, you're really... Merlin?" Danny asked. The two of them had stopped and the sounds of the night animals flitted about them in the forest.

"That is what my mother named me." Merlin replied slowly. Danny nodded once, not keen to pry. From his tone Merlin wasn't particularly keen on following that line of conversation and Danny didn't want to press the issue. Having been badgered by both human and ghost fans he knew how off putting it could be when people presumed they knew you because of your name. Plus there was the whole not telling about the future before it happened thing.

Danny frowned musing over everything he'd been told. "Earlier," He began "You said that magic is banned in Camelot..."

Merlin sighed, his whole figure slumping. "It has been for the best part of thirty years. King Uther decreed all practices of sorcery evil and started the Great Purge. My guardian once told me that people used magic for the wrong ends back then, but there's so much more to it than that. And magic is still banned on pain of death. Arthur tries, he really does, but the idea that 'all sorcerers are evil' is something that he's believed all his life. I've tried to change it, but..."

"Every time you come close something happens to ruin it?" Danny finished. It was so similar to his own story, his own fears.

"You're not supposed to talk about our future." Merlin reprimanded.

"I'm not." Danny defended, leaning back against a tree. "I'm talking about my present. Magic isn't feared, well nobody believes in magic anymore. But ghosts are 'evil', and being half ghost, my ghost half is lumped in with that. It's sad, there're good ghosts out there, but nobody gets to see them because they're scared to come out."

"And it's only the evil ones that come to try to change things, so people only have their beliefs confirmed." Merlin continued. "They only get to see the bad side because the good people have to hide themselves."

"Something like that." Danny answered, smiling. It seemed they had a lot more in common than Danny would have thought. "It's sad because the good ones are so amazing, if they could share it with the rest of the world... but fear does so much damage and makes it impossible to see through those doubts."

The two shared a moment of silence, passing the minutes by in companionable silence in the moonlit forest. But Danny soon felt Merlin's curious gaze. "How exactly does it work? Being half-ghost?"

Danny blinked twice. "I'm not sure, exactly. I don't think I'll ever know properly and I'm not sure I want to. But I have a human and a ghost half. If I want I can change between the two, appear more ghostly than human. In the Real World... the world of the living, I tend to stay in my human half. It's just easier. But my ghost half makes a good disguise for when I have to stop the other full ghosts from wreaking havoc."

"You can change between the two? Living and dead?" Merlin pressed.

"Sort of, I guess." Danny replied frowning. He wasn't used to thinking of it that way. Usually the distinction of human and ghost was enough, but if he was getting down to technicalities. "I'm not sure it's like that exactly. It's just... something that happens." And really that was the best explanation he had. He knew how to change, but to put it into words... that was impossible. Instead he straightened, looking Merlin in the eyes. "Look, I'll show you."

Danny paused, focusing on the icy feeling that was his core. He always felt the shift, felt the human flesh morph to something more energetic. He felt the two rings erupt from his waist, sliding across him to shift him visibly into his ghost half. He could feel Merlin watching, and shivered as a wave of that warm magic washed over him, wrapping around him almost inquisitively. He shivered slightly as the magic left him, pulling away to return back to its source. Cautiously he looked across the forest path at Merlin.

"You have greater access to magic in this form." Merlin commented, his eyebrows creased. "But you're different. When Morgana opened the Veil, the creatures that escaped were completely cut off from magic. I couldn't touch them."

"But I felt that, whatever you did." Danny replied.

Merlin smiled. "Yes, my magic still works around you, which is a good thing. The first time, with the dorocha was terrifying. I've always had my magic and without it..."

"You felt exposed." Danny finished. "Been there, done that. I know it's not fun at all." Danny shuddered, remembering his first time with Vlad's Plasmius Maximus; that little device had effectively cut off his powers and left him feeling sick for hours. He's felt so disoriented, and while he forced himself to keep going it had been a near thing. Even then he'd needed his powers as a vital part of him, and to have them cut off like that had been awful. "But it sort of made me appreciate my powers when I got them back."

Merlin sent him a half smile. "You're not wrong about that." His gaze became curious as he more closely studied Danny. While he was in his ghost form he had stayed firmly planted on the ground, and Merlin seemed to be studying him closely.

"Your clothes, are they... common in your time?" Merlin asked after a long minute. Danny looked down at himself, considering the old Hazmat suit that had become his uniform since he became a halfa.

"No." Danny replied, shaking his head. "This isn't. It's pretty much what I was wearing when I first went into the portal. It's sort of a protective layer that's supposed to protect you from chemicals. Kinda like armour but for scientists. But now it's sort of part of my ghost half, it's what I wear whenever I change forms so..."

"Can you change it?" Merlin interrupted. "It's just, what you were wearing before was conspicuous enough, but that is just too..."

Danny bit his lip, understanding Merlin's dilemma. "Um, yeah." Danny acknowledged with a nod. "In theory. I mean, my guardian once said that it was possible to change how we look, so I know it _can_ be done..." Danny trailed off as he remembered that conversation with Clockwork. In between the riddles Danny had managed to gleam that for most ghosts their appearance was about self image. Of course the ten minute verbal maze that Clockwork had given him almost made him regret asking why Clockwork was always shifting in his age in the first place. But it was a piece of advice that could be useful in this time period.

For the purposes of being inconspicuous Merlin was right. Traipsing about in medieval times in a hazmat suit was not a good idea. He was going to get a big enough lecture from Clockwork without causing an anachronistic paradox to the timeline. Taking inspiration from Dora's kingdom he re-imagined his image. The top half of his suit was replaced by a loose fitting white tunic and the bottom half became black breeches. Since he would already stand enough without drawing attention to himself he imagined a black cloak, coming to rest on his shoulders and fastened with his insignia in a silver clasp.

"That was interesting." Merlin commented at seeing the finished effect. "You uttered no spell."

"Don't know any spells." Danny replied absently, getting used to the way the cloak moved around him. "But is this less conspicuous?"

"For a traveller or a druid, yes." Merlin answered with a shrug as he started off again, leading him through the forest. "But the druids are not welcomed in the citadel. And you still glow."

"I know, I can tone it down a bit but I can never get rid of it in this form." Danny replied, easily catching Merlin as he tripped over a root. "Pity the cloak'll disappear when I change back."

"What is it made from?" Merlin asked.

"Energy, I guess." Danny replied. It was what most of the Zone was made of so it stood to reason that the cloak was too.

"Can you hand it over for a minute?" Merlin asked, and Danny was curious to see what Merlin intended to do. He undid the clasp, gathering the dark folds of fabric in his hands before handing it over to Merlin. It should stay solid so long as it wasn't taken too far away from him. Merlin's attention was on the cloak as he prodded it with his fingers. Briefly his eyes glowed gold and Danny felt as the warm energy wash through the air, shifting in eddying whirls and melding with his cloak.

"Change back now." Merlin instructed, keeping the cloak in his hands. Danny obediently shifted back, the white rings instantly shifting him back into his human form. The cloak however stayed firmly in Merlin's hands. Danny's eyes widened in awe at the raven haired man; that was no small trick, making a ghostly item stay in the real world after the ghostly influence was gone. His parents had never managed that and they'd been trying for years. Yet Merlin had just done it.

Merlin smiled and chucked the cloak at Danny. "Come along. And put that back on. While you're not glowing anymore you still stand out in what you're wearing. And here if you stand out too much someone's likely to cry sorcery."

Danny nodded and tugged the cloak back across his shoulders. "It's that bad?" He asked.

"It was." Came Merlin's short reply. "But Arthur _is_ a fair king. He at least gives fair trial. Still, I'd prefer not to push his limits too much, and Gwen knows textiles better than anyone. It's safer if you hide a bit until we get into the citadel."

Danny nodded once, staring up as the pearlescent silhouette of a castle emerged from the darkness. He paused, staring in wonderment at the sight; it was so much bigger than any of the castles in the zone, and it seemed so much livelier. Even in the darkness of night Danny could feel the thrum of life that buzzed through the castle and its peoples. It was a completely different kind of magic to Merlin's, and yet Danny could very much imagine the wizard living in as majestic a place as this.

It may not be what he expected, and _the _Merlin was already far different from the legends. But staring up through the parting trees at the castle, at Camelot... Danny couldn't help but feel that if a portal had to dump him in the medieval ages, at least he was with someone who was known to be kind. All he had to do was not mess up the timeline and wait until a portal opened. And in the meantime he could experience true medieval life, how the people lived rather than how the ghosts replicated it. It wouldn't be too bad.

"Come on, Danny." Merlin called from just over a crest in the forest. Danny smiled as he raced to catch up, the black cloak which Merlin had fixed for him flowing easily behind him. He could spend a little while in Camelot until Clockwork got involved enough to open a portal for him. It was all going to be alright.

* * *

AN: Ta-da? Well, I wanted Danny to meet Kilgharrah and I figured that Kilgharrah would find Danny funny just for being a halfa. But did he sound Kilgharrah-y enough? It's hard because he's like a cranky Clockwork but knows _destiny_ as opposed to _everything_.

Then... I couldn't figure out how to get Merlin and Danny into Camelot so that's what happened.

And okay, that reveal was maybe a bit artificial, but Danny wouldn't see through the Dragon's remarks well enough to think that he could just do a couple of tricks in human form. And now he has a cloak. Cloaks are cool. They're like bowties, but better.

Anyway, next time Danny will get to meet one of the knights. XD

Translation;  
Winterlǣcan Hrīm – Growing Wintery Frost

Fare the well,

Bluerose


	4. Āweaxan Glēd

Chapter 3

Āweaxan Glēd 

Disclaimer: I own neither Danny Phantom nor Merlin

Gwaine yawned, leaning back into the cool archway that marked his sentry point for the evening. The Princess – Arthur – had decided to put him on duty for the whole week as punishment for showing up hung-over to training three days straight. But it was hardly his fault that the ale at the Rising Sun was better quality than usual, and the company in the little tavern was always entertaining.

But apparently Arthur didn't share that opinion, and so Gwaine was stuck guarding the main gates for the fifth night in a row. This time of night it was very slow, any wise traveller had already set up camp for the evening and the sentries were left to watch the silent streets and empty shadows. In fact, probably the only thing Gwaine had to look forward to this shift was a visit from Merlin. The raven-haired man had walked out earlier in the evening, saying that he needed to collect herbs for Gaius.

Come to think about it, Gwaine wouldn't be surprised if Merlin had fallen asleep somewhere out there in the forest. It was something bewildering to him and his fellow knights that Merlin always managed to keep up with his work. Between his duties as Arthur's manservant, and his responsibilities as Gaius' ward-come-apprentice Merlin was usually run flat off his feet. Merlin probably ended up doing the work of three men, and managed not only to keep up, but also to always have a broad smile on his face.

Gwaine shook his head, trying to clear his mounting tiredness. It was late; the final bell having tolled many hours before, and the streets had been largely silent. Gwaine only had an hour left before a replacement came along to take over for the pre-dawn shift. Another yawn escaped his lips and he rubbed his eyes, trying to force himself back to alertness. Falling asleep at his post was probably not a good way to get out of Arthur's bad books.

The night air was cool and crisp around him, fragrant with the scent of the gradual close of summer. Gwaine's eyes went out to the forest, searching the tree-line for any sign of change. Merlin was still out there, and Gwaine was half worried for his friend. While the forests surrounding Camelot Citadel were among the safest Gwaine knew of, nightfall always brought out its own dangers. And Merlin, brave though the young man may be, was no warrior. But Merlin would never let something like common sense stop him from finishing his chores, and so now Gwaine was left to worry and hope that soon the easily distinguishable signs of his red neckerchief would poke out of the forest, signalling his friend's safe return.

A sharp crack pierced the silence of the night, emanating out from the forest. And Gwaine's hand reached automatically for his sword's hilt. He stood abruptly to attention, all weariness gone as he scanned the glooming edges of the forest for any sign of danger. It may have been several months since Morgana's last attempted coup, but no one was going to risk becoming complacent. All tiredness deserted him as he carefully examined the darkness for anything suspicious.

"You're just as clumsy as I am!" Gwaine sagged in relief as he recognised the voice that echoed on the wind. He doubted there was anyone in Camelot who would mistake that voice, a beguiling mix of kindness and snarky cynicism that was entirely Merlin.

Sure enough the lanky figure stepped out from the tree-line, his blue eyes unmistakably bright in the moonlight. Gwaine smiled, glad that his raven haired friend appeared to be safe. Merlin, however, turned back to the forest briefly and Gwaine's eyes creased in concern. A dark figure stepped out of the forest from between the trees, moving fluidly through the shadows of the forest's edge. The figure paused beside Merlin, a dark black cloak billowing around his shoulders.

"Not my fault, that root came out of nowhere!" The figure exclaimed, facing Merlin. The voice sounded young, as though the speaker had yet to pass their twentieth year. But it was also strange, the accent was much sharper than anything Gwaine was familiar with, and had stranger inflections than Gwaine recognised from his many wanderings across the five kingdoms.

"That's what happens when you decide to jump through the trees of an unfamiliar forest at night." Merlin commented, his dry sarcasm carrying on the wind.

"That's what I get for travelling through any forest at night with someone named Merlin." The younger voice grumbled.

Merlin laughed, eyes sparkling in the moonlight even from this distance. "Come on. I want to introduce you to Gaius before it gets any later." Gwaine couldn't help but smile at the younger man's teasing delight. Merlin and the cloaked young man made their way towards the main gate, and Gwaine could make out a second head of dark hair, tussled with leaves, and a pair of bright blue eyes sparkling lightly from the stranger.

"Merlin!" Gwaine called, attracting the attention of the two dark haired young men. "What did Arthur say about picking up anymore strays?"

"Well the last few didn't work out so bad." Merlin commented, blue eyes bright with a teasing smile. "I figure I can ignore him."

Gwaine rolled his eyes at the way Merlin looked at him, his blue eyes glittering mischievously in the moonlight. Gwaine turned his attention to the second dark haired young man. His earlier assumption seemed to be correct; the boy could be no older than twenty summers. He was probably closer to seventeen if truth be told. He had a similar build to Merlin, and what wasn't drowned out by the cloak was tall and thin. And he was probably more suited to light labour than wielding a sword. He just didn't seem to have the muscle structure. The boy's eyes however, they glittered with a strange light. He was used to that extra something in Merlin's eyes, something completely unexplainable. And this boy had that unidentifiable glimmer, but at the same time it was entirely different to Merlin's bright warm glow.

The boy didn't look like a threat. Well, no more of a threat than Merlin ever was, so Gwaine relaxed his stance. But as he did so he couldn't help but notice that the boy mirrored the movement. It was almost as though he had been assessing Gwaine as a threat and come to the conclusion that he could be overcome; as though that could ever happen. He was Sir Gwaine, Finest Swordsman in all the Five Kingdoms. Even if the Princess didn't agree with that particular view.

"Danny." The boy introduced himself, extending a hand from beneath the cloak. As the dark fabric parted Gwaine noticed an unusually bright flash of red and white cloth, completely unfamiliar to anything that Gwaine had seen before. But he set the thought aside in favour of introducing himself.

"Sir Gwaine of Camelot." Gwaine returned, taking the offered hand and meeting the boy with a firm handshake. The boy had a confident grip, but Gwaine noticed the ever so slight chill to the flesh. It was something that he'd picked up in his various tavern escapades. Sometimes you could tell how drunk a person was by the warmth of their hand. Something in the alcohol made the skin warm up, and Gwaine had trained himself to notice minute differences. Despite having only come out from the warmth of a thick cloak, the boy's hands were as chilled as though he's pulled them from a winter stream. It was strange, but not alarming.

"So where exactly did you pick this one up?" Gwaine asked, quirking an eyebrow at Merlin. This Danny wasn't suspicious _per se_, there were just a few more strange things about him than Gwaine was willing to just let slip by.

"He was..." Merlin began looking slightly unsure.

"I was travelling." Danny interjected, sending Gwaine a half awkward smile. "Sort of needed a break from home and wanted to go exploring, but took a majorly wrong turn and wound up lost."

"We met each other in the forest when I was looking for Gaius' herbs." Merlin tacked on.

"Yeah," Danny continued. "Merlin decided to stop me from accidentally slipping into a pile of... what was it?"

"Henbane." Merlin deadpanned.

"That." Danny agreed, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly.

"And since Merlin can't walk by a lost stray, here you are." Gwaine finished, shaking his head exasperatedly. Someday that habit was going to get his friend in trouble, but looking between the two raven-haired boys, and with Merlin's big beseeching blue eyes it was hard to begrudge him.

"Something like that." Danny tacked on, sending the elder raven head a curious glance. Gwaine could see there was more to the story. But he knew what it was like to want to take a break from home; he'd left his own to go _exploring_ at around the same age as the boy. Plus, Danny had a look in his eye that was so much like a younger Merlin that Gwaine couldn't help but give him the benefit of the doubt.

"So how does a kid like you wind up lost so close to Camelot?" Gwaine prodded. He saw the intelligent glimmer in Merlin's eyes, as the young man recognised what he was trying to do. Merlin sent Gwaine a subtle nod, accepting the need to question subtly but simultaneously reluctant to let him push too far. Even if Gwaine was warming up to the kid it was beyond foolish to allow a stranger access to the city without prying a bit.

Danny shrugged at Gwaine. "To be honest, I needed to get away from my home town for a while. I never really fit in there, less so in recent years, and I just wanted to get out for a bit. But I managed to get a bit disoriented and then one bit of green looked like the next... and suddenly I'm tripping into the clearing where Merlin was collecting herbs."

"What, no fight for your life or magical creatures?" Gwaine scoffed with a shake of his head. "Merlin, my friend, you're losing your touch. He hasn't even got a head wound. Usually you need to be on the brink of death for Merlin to bring you into Camelot." Gwaine sent a disarming smile at the young boy, making reference to his own Camelot debut.

"No closer to death than I usually am." Danny replied, but there was a strange glint in his eyes as he said it. "And the closest thing to a magical creature I've been attacked by recently was probably the henbane."

"You need to watch out for those things." Gwaine commented with a wry smile. "They tend to sneak up on you."

Danny huffed lightly, blowing a few strands of dark hair out of his eyes. Gwaine grinned; the boy was just as easily ruffled as Merlin. It'd be fun to have him around if just for that novelty.

"Come on." Gwaine suggested. "Let's get you two to the physician's chambers."

Merlin sent him an appreciative smile. "But aren't you supposed to be on guard duty tonight?" The dark-haired man asked.

Gwaine shrugged. "The guard after me usually comes half an hour early. I can take you two back on the way to my chambers." And just on cur the replacement showed up, nodding at Gwaine and Merlin before sending an inquiring look at Danny. To save the argument Gwaine said that he'd already questioned the boy about his presence in Camelot and his story checked out. The guard nodded before taking up his post dutifully.

"Well, let's head off then." Gwaine commented, clapping his hands together. "Don't want her highness distressed over you being late in the morning, eh, Merlin?"

"He'll find something to be distressed over anyway Gwaine." Merlin replied shaking his head. "I'd be more worried if he decided not to get distressed about something."

"True." Gwaine smiled, shaking his head. He sent a quick glance to the younger boy. His eyes were wide as he stared up at the towering peaks of the citadel. Noticing his distraction Gwaine took a moment to whisper to Merlin. "You're sure he's not going to bring trouble, Merlin? I don't think we can handle another traitor so soon after Morgana."

Merlin smiled at him. "I really doubt it." The raven haired man replied eyes flashing with mischievous knowledge. "He's probably the last person to want to bring harm to Camelot. Trust me, he has reason enough not to want to."

Gwaine turned just enough to study his friend's bright blue eyes. Merlin often seemed naïve, but he was usually a pretty good judge of character. If Merlin was worried about someone then it was good reason to be wary of them, but it was rare for the younger man to be convinced that someone was as innately good as Merlin was suggesting that Danny was. "If you're sure." Gwaine commented, shrugging. He led the two dark haired boys to the Physician's chamber door, watching as the heavy wooden frame swung closed behind them.

Gwaine sighed, rubbing his hair tiredly as he made his way to his own chambers. He needed to get to sleep, and any concerns he had about the boy would wait till morning. He yawned widely as he made his way to his own chambers. It was only when he was tugging his chainmail off that he realised; he hadn't heard the boy moving at all. He'd heard his own movement as the mail rustled, and Merlin's usual clumsy stride. But he'd not heard the boy's footsteps as they moved through the empty Camelot hallways. So how did someone whose movements bespoke the same clumsiness as Merlin manage to move as silently as a ghost?

* * *

The heavy wooden door closed behind Merlin with a gentle thump and Merlin turned to survey the moonlit room. The scent of smoke mingling with herbs in the air told him that his mentor had only just turned the light out and so there was still a good chance that he was awake. Merlin set the herb bag on the table and sent a half reassuring look in Danny's direction.

"Gaius?" Merlin called, his eyes searching the area of Gaius' cot.

"Merlin?" A groggy voice murmured in the darkness. "What are you doing back so late?" Merlin bit his lip as he heard the rustling noise as his guardian and mentor pulled himself out of bed. He would usually let the old man rest, but in this case it was necessary to wake him up.

"I ran into a... complication when I was out." Merlin explained, hearing more than seeing as Gaius shuffled across the room. Danny was being mercifully silent, saving Gaius from the shock of a second dark haired boy being in the room.

"Only you, Merlin, could possibly run into trouble gathering herbs." Gaius commented scathingly. "Can you help with a light?" He requested.

"Oh," Merlin blinked. "Right, um..." He searched the moonlit table; the only thing in the chambers that was easily visible and soon found a candle. With half a thought it winked into light and Merlin saw Gaius blinking in the dim candle light.

"Merlin." Gaius gasped as he took in the figure standing just behind Merlin. "What have you...?"

"It's okay, Gaius." Merlin reassured, gesturing the elderly gentleman to the table. "Really."

"You just used magic, boy." Gaius roused in a harsh whisper. "In front of..." He gestured in the air towards Danny.

"Right, wasn't thinking." Merlin deferred, shaking his head. "Gaius, this is Danny. Danny, Gaius. Gaius, he's not about to hand me over."

"What makes you say that?" Gaius pressed, leaning in close to Merlin in a sharp whisper. "A complete stranger in the middle of the night and you go off practicing magic."

"I'm not gonna dob Merlin in if that's what you're worried about, sir." Danny said demurely.

Gaius blinked, twice, before turning to stare at the younger boy. "And where exactly did you come from? What is your purpose in Camelot? Merlin, I cannot believe your stupidity in bringing a complete stranger into the citadel and then proceeding to use magic in front of him."

"Gaius..." Merlin said, trying to placate his mentor. But Gaius just turned back to face the younger boy.

"Well, what do you have to say for yourself?" Gaius pressed, and it was astounding how intimidating he managed to look despite being in his white night robe.

"I bear no ill will to Camelot." Danny replied calmly. "If magic is banned in this Camelot then I will not reveal Merlin's secret. It would do nothing for me and only make everything I know a thousand times worse."

Merlin watched his guardian carefully, noting the careful blankness that came into his wizened face. "He's not from here." Merlin explained, sending a querying glance to Danny. The boy shrugged sadly.

"Camelot isn't on any maps where I'm from." Danny said dejectedly. "It's... it's been lost to time."

"Lost to..." Gaius mouthed. "Merlin?"

"See that's the complication I was talking about." Merlin explained. "I was picking herbs as you asked when a..." he paused unsure of the best way to describe it was. He didn't want to say that it was another tear in the Veil because that would only bring about more trouble.

"Portal" Danny prompted helpfully.

"A portal opened." Merlin continued. "Danny here was exploring on the other side and sort of fell through."

"The problem is that my side of the portal was over a thousand years ahead of this side." Danny tacked on. Merlin watched the blank look on his mentor's face turn to irate disbelief.

"I didn't believe it either." Merlin interjected. "But then I called Kilgharrah who pretty much said that it was true and that Danny was stuck here until he can find another portal himself."

"You called Kilgharrah?" Gaius gasped, his voice surprisingly small. The elder man took a seat at the table and Danny was smart enough to hand him a cup of water. "Did you leave no secrets hidden?"

"Merlin is famous in my time." Danny said. "Most kids grow up on stories about him, Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table."

"Which isn't in the council room yet so..." Merlin trailed off.

"Be careful with what I say. Yeah." Danny acknowledged. "Kilgharrah said as much, and I know I'm already gonna be in trouble with my own guardian when I do get back." Merlin frowned at the resignation in the boy's tone.

"So you honestly believe that you come from the future?" Gaius pressed with his eyebrow raised sceptically.

"I honestly know that I come from a time more than a thousand years from now. Yes." The boy replied.

"Gaius." Merlin implored. "It's late. I believe he's telling the truth and Kilgharrah believes he's telling the truth. If you look at what he's wearing under the cloak it's not like anything we make here, and even if he were deluded, would you really turn a lost boy like him out at this time of night?"

Merlin stared at his mentor, watching as his will crumbled. "He can stay." Gaius replied almost grudgingly. "But you're going to have to find something for him to do while he's here."

"Thank you Gaius!" Merlin exclaimed, giving his guardian a quick hug. "Danny, come upstairs. We'll find somewhere for you to sleep and sort things out better in the morning." The boy nodded, sending a grateful glance towards Gaius as he followed Merlin up the small staircase and into his room.

Merlin immediately tripped over a shirt that he'd left on the floor that morning, but Danny managed to catch him before he could crash onto the hard floorboards. "Thanks." Merlin whispered, fumbling in the dark till he could sit on his own bed. There was a flare of cold energy and a whitish green orb was suddenly floating above Danny's hand. Merlin looked at it askance. It was a strange sort of energy that the boy manipulated. It had whispers similar to his own magic, but it was muted by what he could only guess was spiritual energy.

"Sorry." Danny murmured. "I figured you might like a... light." He trailed off awkwardly, rubbing the back of his head as the whitish orb floated by his side.

"Thank you." Merlin said nodding appreciatively. He didn't know the extent of Danny's powers. Perhaps one of Gaius' books would give a better indication. He stared around the room. He's managed to trip on the only piece of clothing currently on the floor which was slightly embarrassing. His eyes moved to the closed door behind them. "I'm sorry about Gaius. He can be very protective at times. And he's always worrying that I'll get caught."

Danny sent him a knowing smile. "Sounds like my sister. She's insanely smart but ridiculously overprotective."

Merlin laughed, shaking his head at the younger boy. Part of him was curious, there was so much that he wanted to ask the boy; about the future, about his magic. But he also knew how much his own destiny crushed him. And knowing it from the boy's view would only set high expectations that he wasn't sure that he was prepared for. So instead he focused on the light. Danny had produced it without a spell or an incantation, much like his own magic before he came to Camelot. Merlin sighed sadly.

"You realise you can't just do that sort of thing here." Merlin said gesturing to the floating orb of light, although it almost pained him to say it. "It's not safe to use any form of magic in Camelot." The younger boy nodded, letting the light flicker out and bathing the room in dim moonlight.

"Right, sorry." Danny murmured. "I guess I'm not used to having to worry behind closed doors."

"It's alright." Merlin comforted, but stopped at the boy's frown. "Well, really it's not. But it's safer this way." He sighed, flopping limply back on his bed eyes fixed on the ceiling. "It's tiring, living as a shadow, pretending to be less than you are just so that the people around you are safe."

"But you keep going anyway." Danny continued, and Merlin turned to look at him, who was currently seated with his back to the wall. "Not because you want anything back, but because it's the right thing to do."

Merlin nodded in agreement. "Someday things will change." He whispered, more to himself than anything else.

"Someday things will change." The boy repeated, and Merlin wasn't sure of he was talking about Merlins future, or the boy's hopes for his own.

The room faded into heavy silence for a few long minutes before the boy spoke again. "How'm I gonna get home?" The boy asked in a soft murmur. Merlin frowned, not knowing a good answer.

"I don't know." He replied sadly. "I can slow time, but I've never heard of a spell that could open a portal to yours. And if such a thing did exist, the book would have been destroyed in the Purge."

"Kilgharrah said that the Veil had been opened before?" Danny pressed.

"Yes." Merlin replied shortly. "When Morgana sacrificed her sister to the Calleich. I'm sorry, but it's not worth the risk. If there's a solution I promise, I'll help you find it. But I won't use that sort of magic to do it."

"It's fine." Danny reassured. "I wouldn't ask you to. It's just that if it's been opened recently, that means that the information is out there. Maybe if I can find out how they opened it, I can figure out a way to open one safely."

"Maybe." Merlin answered with his eyes back on the ceiling. It wasn't bad logic, and Merlin wasn't about to shoot down the boy's hope right away. But Morgause had been taught most of her magic orally. The odds of finding a magic book, particularly one with dark magic like that were slim to none. But it wasn't as though Merlin knew of anywhere else to look. He may be a creature of magic himself, but there was still so much that he didn't know.

"You should probably try to get some sleep." Merlin instructed. "I think I have a spare blanket in the cupboard."

"Thanks." Danny murmured in reply. There was a faint rustling sound and Merlin heard the faint click as the cupboard closed again. The boy kept the blanket rolled up, apparently electing to use it as a pillow, favouring the cloak as a blanket.

There was a muffled "Night." From beside him, and Merlin listened as the boy's breathing evened out. He stared at the ceiling late into the night musing. There was a creature of magic sleeping next to him. And he was probably the most human magical creature that Merlin had yet come across. But Merlin could sense the cool power that the boy possessed. It was unfamiliar to him to be harbouring a sorcerer like this, let alone someone of a different species. But Kilgharrah had inferred that Danny would bring no harm to Camelot. And Merlin couldn't help but feel that doing this, protecting the boy, was a significant milestone in his destiny with Arthur as Emrys and the Once and Future King.

* * *

AN; I am not sure whether or not I like how this chapter ended. I liked writing Gwaine though, he's so much fun and he has this awesome curious-but-clueless outlook. Then again, Gwaine is just _Gwaine_ and I think that's explanation enough. I'm gonna have fun with interactions between him and Danny in the future I think.

Sorry if Danny felt too complacent. But he's sort of stuck in a completely foreign time and the whole situation has yet to fully catch up to him. At the moment he's a bit lost, and is subconsciously clinging to Merlin for protection. That's my explanation and I'm sticking to it.

I will ask though, do you think that Danny would actually be able to use magic if he learned the language? I'm keen to hear what people think.

Translation  
Āweaxan Glēd – Growing Embers

Hope you enjoyed all the same,

Bluerose


	5. Īsigfeðera Sunne

Chapter 4

Īsigfeðera Sunne 

Disclaimer: I own neither Danny Phantom nor Merlin

Danny squeezed his eyes shut as bright sunlight crossed his face. He'd slept well for the first time in what felt like years, and his sleep hazy mind couldn't even recall having to wake up to fight ghosts during the night at all. He sighed contentedly, wrapping himself up further in his warm blanket. He was just so warm and comfortable, he felt like he was wrapped up in a tight little ball where nothing could touch him. A smile played across his lips as he sighed sleepily.

The sun though was persistent, and Danny eventually opened his eyes. He stared at the ceiling, trying to piece together what was different. His mind waking up slowly he realised that that was in fact not his ceiling, the thick wooden support beams above his head were completely unfamiliar to him. Dazedly he sat up, watching as a heavy black cloak fell down off his shoulders.

Suddenly slamming into him with the merciless velocity of one of Skulker's rockets, came the recollection of the night before. The portal, the forest, the huge golden dragon, and the young man, blue eyes and dark hair, that had held a ball of fire in his hand as though it were nothing. Danny looked across the room at the bed where the man, Merlin, was still sleeping. He was in Camelot. The real Camelot, and had no way to get back home.

"Merlin!" The voice of the elderly man, Gaius, came through the door at the same time as a loud knock. Beside him Merlin jumped, nearly falling out of the bed. The man sat up, rubbing his eyes tiredly before they landed on Danny. Merlin froze for a moment, an unfathomable emotion in his eye, but it was gone in an instant.

"You're already late!" Gaius's voice came muffled through the door. "Hurry now."

"Right." Merlin said blinking. He was still in his clothes from the night before, apparently having just collapsed in them. Danny himself was no better; his white t-shirt was rumpled from having been slept in. "You should probably get changed. I think I have a shift from when I first came to Camelot..." Merlin trailed off with a frown before he stepped over to the cupboard.

Merlin himself quickly changed his shirt to clean blue one before tossing a red shirt across the room at Danny. A moment later he was tossed a pair of brown pants and instructed to put them on. Maintaining as much modesty as he could he changed out of his jeans, instantly missing them as the coarse brown fabric touched his skin. It was well worn, and probably was one of Merlin's only spare pairs, so Danny chose not to complain.

"Thanks." Danny said gratefully.

"Couldn't take the risk of someone seeing you running around in... whatever your clothes are made of." Merlin commented with a half smile. "Now all we need to worry about is hiding them somewhere where no one will find them."

Danny frowned for a moment before folding his futuristic clothes into a neat bundle. "How thick are the walls here?" he asked.

"About a foot" Merlin answered slowly. "Why?"

Danny just smiled and turned the bundle intangible. Keeping note of which rock, he stuffed them inside the stone wall, leaving them to rest there permanently intangibly until he chose to remove them. "I figure that unless someone's gonna try destroying the wall you won't get in trouble if they're in there."

"What did you do?" Merlin asked, but his eyes looked more curious than anything.

Danny opened his mouth to answer, but a hassled cry of "Merlin!" from downstairs interrupted him.

"Intangibility." He answered as Merlin hastened down into the herb-scented room.

"Intangibility?" Merlin repeated confusedly, walking over to the table where the elderly man was seated. Danny paused momentarily, sending a hesitant look at Gaius. Gaius subtly nodded at him and Danny took a seat next to Merlin.

Merlin was still staring at him expectantly, apparently not really caring about talking about something so close to magic in front of Gaius. Danny shrugged mentally. At least now he knew someone he could marginally trust, even if they had gotten off on the wrong foot.

"The ability to pass through solid objects." Danny explained. "It's something all ghosts can do."

Gaius frowned, a hand frozen over his bowl of what looked like porridge. "Why are you two talking about ghosts?" He asked, eyeing the two of them warily.

Merlin looked down, and Danny caught an almost guilty look in his eye. Danny sighed, it would be better to bite the bullet now, rather than risk getting Merlin into trouble later. "I hid my old clothes in the wall so that nobody could find them."

"You're a sorcerer!" Gaius exclaimed, jerking back.

"He's not, Gaius." Merlin interjected. "He's something else entirely."

"I think the dragon described it as a 'creature of the Old Religion'... which is something I don't really understand." Danny admitted. "I'm a halfa; half human, half ghost."

"That's not possible." Gaius instantly rejected.

"Sometimes I wish it weren't." Danny admitted. "But it happened, I really am half-ghost."

"He's telling the truth." Merlin confirmed, and Danny sent him a grateful smile. "The Great Dragon explained it to me; what happened to him is partially due to the damage Morgana wrought on the veil last year. He said that Danny becoming a... half-ghost... was destined."

Gaius didn't seem all that reassured; in fact he pulled Merlin away from the table forcefully to try get some privacy. But even as a human most of Danny's senses were above the norm so he still heard the cautioning whispers. "Merlin, ghosts are known to be vicious creatures. You remember what happened with the dorocha last year." Danny frowned. It wasn't the first reference to the dorocha that he's heard since arriving, but he'd never heard the term himself. "The beings who come back from beyond the veil are notorious for having unstable dispositions at the very best."

"And the same is true of sorcerers." Merlin replied. "Gaius, last night when we were walking through the forest Danny and I were talking, and it was like..." Danny heard a sad sigh. "It was like I was talking to myself. The things he said, Gaius, I could have said them myself. I can't help but want to help him."

"Alright, Merlin." The elder man replied kindly. "We'll give him a chance. I suppose he can't be much worse than you were."

"Thank you Gaius." Merlin replied. Danny looked down at the table, staring at a knot of wood. He wasn't sure whether he should be embarrassed for what he had overheard or not. The two of them came back to the table, Merlin smiling as he took the seat next to Danny again and happily pulled a bowl of porridge towards himself.

"Merlin has vouched for you, boy." Gaius finally acknowledged. "I will let you stay here until we can find a way to send you back where you came from. Now we just need to figure out what to do with you in the interim."

"I was hoping..." Merlin trailed; a strange glint in his eyes. Gaius simply raised an eyebrow, and Danny couldn't help but wonder at how expressive that eyebrow was. "Could Danny help you in here?" The second eyebrow went up. "Just for the day, until I can figure something else out."

Gaius sighed wearily, and Danny bit back the urge to interrupt. He was still in the room after all, but the two were being very accommodating towards him, and he didn't want to be ungracious. "I don't suppose you know anything about the herbal sciences?" Gaius asked wearily.

"A little." Danny answered truthfully. "My parents are scientists, and one of my friends is into homeopathy." He was actually quite good at science when he was given a solid run at it. The only problem he'd really have was in understanding the properties of all these herbs.

Gaius sighed again, shaking his head at Merlin. "Go on." The silver-haired man said. "You'll be late for Arthur if you stay any longer."

Merlin nodded, hastily setting aside his emptied bowl as he rushed out the door. "See you later, Gaius, Danny" And then the door closed with a soft click. Gaius grunted, and Danny shifted awkwardly in his seat. He couldn't help but feel like he was being dissected under Gaius' heavy stare. But Danny had long since learned that it was easier to control his fear and try to put it towards something useful.

"What can I help with?" Danny asked, meeting the elder man in the eyes.

"I suppose you can help me with a couple of tinctures." He replied after a while. The man stood up, clearing the two bowls from the table and moving across to a cluttered workbench. Danny followed him over, keenly eyeing the equipment. Some things looked vaguely familiar; a distillation coil, mortar and pestle, even little cups that were reminiscent of beakers. But some of the things were completely unrecognisable, and Danny could only presume that they had become antiquated at some point in history.

"How much of medicine do you know?" Gaius asked, looking up at him.

Danny pressed his lips. "As I said before, a little. But most of what I do know is different to what you'd use. Medicine has changed a lot since now; we don't rely on herbs so much as the chemicals in them."

Gaius looked torn between fascination and disapproval. "I think I'd like to hear some of it. But for now let's get you started on a remedy for headaches." Danny nodded. While he did want to get back home he knew there was little he could do. And until he got a chance to do some research he was probably safest if he proved moderately useful to Merlin and Gaius. He didn't know much about the medieval period, but he knew that it was a very hard time to live, and everybody had to earn their keep.

Gaius moved around the table collecting a herb bundle and two little boxes. Danny watched for a moment before the elder man turned back to him. "I'll assume that you don't know the basic medicinal properties of some of these, so pay attention." Gaius reached for the herb bundle, carefully shredding the leaves and dropping them into a basin. "This is Lemon Balm, it has a mild sedative effect and can also be useful for treating insomnia or anxiety."

Danny nodded in acknowledgement. It was interesting, in a way. Sam had tried once to get him on the herbal kick, but her method was different to Gaius'. The white haired man reached for one of the boxes, opening it to reveal what looked like a fine pale bark. "The next ingredient is Angelica. It is useful for a variety of ailments, but in this case we are using it for its warming properties and ability to assist with digestion. It also said to..."

"Ward off evil spirits?" Danny guessed. After the debacle with the blood blossoms with Tuck and Sam, he'd gone looking for some of the herbs that supposedly warded off evil spirits. Most of them were harmless to him, but he wasn't sure if that was a general rule or a reflection of his own ethics.

"Yes." Gaius said. "So you are not completely ignorant. Out of curiosity..."

"Angelica doesn't hurt me." Danny guessed. "Nor does fennel, sage or mugwort. I've only come across one plant that affects me personally, but I don't know its origins; blood blossom."

Gaius nodded in acknowledgement. "I have not heard of blood blossom before. But you have seen it yourself?"

"Yeah." Danny nodded, clutching his arms at the remembered pain. "They looked sort of like roses, but had blackish purple stems. The man who put them out said that they were anti-supernatural, but I don't know if that meant just ghosts or real magic as well. I know that they can be eaten, that's the best way to neutralise them."

"Fascinating." Gaius said, setting his herbs aside and pulling out a book. "I haven't heard of such a plant, the physical properties sound something like the briar rose, but that blossom does not look like a conventional rose..." He put a pair of half glasses on, scanning the pages of the heavyset book. "And you say it had general warding properties?"

Danny nodded. "They made a cage if they were put in a closed circle. But it was painful to go near them." He shuddered at that memory. Sam had been literally tied to a stake, and the only way for any of them to get out of there alive was for Tuck, the carnivore, to eat the blossoms.

"I'll have to look further into that." Gaius mused aloud, shaking his head as he closed the book. "Where were we?" he asked, staring at the ingredients.

"Angelica for warming and digestion." Danny replied quickly and Gaius smiled.

"Yes. Next is nutmeg which can help reduce blood pressure." He took a nutmeg out of the second box and pulled out a mortar and pestle. He handed it to Danny who set about grinding it into a fine powder. When it was satisfactory Gaius nodded and added that to the basin. "Finally we infuse this with white wine," Gaius continued, pulling out a flask of pale yellow liquid and pouring it over the mixture. "And in a few hours we'll strain off the sediment and bottle it for later."

"And that works as a cure for headaches?" Danny asked.

"As a general cure, yes." Gaius answered, taking a seat at the bench and offering Danny the one next to him. "If it is something more serious I would try a poultice or something stronger. I use something more potent for hangovers, but it's virtually tasteless so I add in a couple of things to try and prevent people becoming reliant on it."

"That... sounds like a lot of work." Danny admitted. "In my time you pretty much use paracetamol as a cure all for pain, but I don't know what it's refined from."

Gaius smiled, and Danny was almost reminded of Clockwork in his elder form. "Well perhaps you can learn something from this experience after all." The elder man said with an encouraging smile. And Danny couldn't help but smile back. It was sort of like his own home, bubbling pots and experiments all around. Danny settled in, learning the various properties of herbs from Gaius, and helping put together a number of remedies. The hours flew by, and Danny found himself coming to enjoy the steady company of the elder man, despite his initial icy reception.

* * *

Merlin shook his head as he followed Arthur out of the council chambers. The meeting had gone on for two hours longer than it really needed to, mostly thanks to Lord Hemmingway droning on about the insufficient taxes being taken in from some of the outer villages. If Merlin were allowed to voice his opinion he probably would have suggested taking a different form of tax than a monetary one. Those lands were particularly fertile, but the people were poor. And the people of Camelot were often running short of food due to some siege or another.

But Merlin's opinion counted for very little in the council, he was only there to fill Arthur's cup. Merlin knew he was not a great political mind, but that would go a long way towards solving the problem in his opinion. Shaking himself out of his reverie he trailed after Arthur. The king was heading back to his chambers briefly to get changed before training with the knights. It was actually one of Arthur's slower days, there was only one more meeting he had to attend after his training session, and after that it was just dinner with Gwen. With any luck that would mean that Merlin was able to knock off a bit earlier.

"...And then I need you to..." Merlin suddenly became very aware of Arthur's voice. "You haven't been listening to a word I've said, have you Merlin?" The king asked, pausing halfway through the corridor to stare at him.

"Uh, no." Merlin answered. "But I figure with you it's the best way to test if you've said anything different."

Arthur just raised an eyebrow expectantly. "Go on."

"You want me to get you a light lunch for before training," Merlin hazarded "then clean up your chambers before attending to Gwen's. Then you want me to polish your daggers, even though you won't have used them, before finding something for you to wear to the Potter's Guild meeting. Then you'll probably be wanting another change of clothes for your dinner with Gwen before fetching dinner for the two of you. And I think you probably want me to read over your speech for the morning somewhere. Did I get everything, sire?"

"Idiot." Arthur said somewhat affectionately. "However, you'll be the one writing the speech." He turned around and continued his long stride to his chambers, Merlin closing the door behind the two of them.

"I don't see why I have to be the one to write all your speeches." He complained as he tugged Arthur's red tunic off and cast it aside. The two went through the long since familiar motions of getting Arthur into his mail, easily shifting around the blonde as he did.

"Because, Merlin. I am your king." Arthur answered, and Merlin bit back the urge to roll his eyes. "And as such I have the privilege of delegating certain tasks to those who serve me."

Merlin tusked. "It seems to me like you delegate all your speeches onto me. You know you really should think about writing your kingly speeches yourself, your _highness_. After all, you are the one who's supposed to know what's going on in your own castle."

"I don't need to." Arthur replied. "I have you around to do that for me."

Merlin grinned. "So you admit that you do need me."

"Hardly." Arthur replied. "But I will admit that you're not nearly so bad as you used to be."

Merlin beamed, knowing Arthur well enough to take that as a complement. "Prat." He said, earning him an amused scowl from the king before he was led through the castle and to the training grounds. The knights naturally were already there, the sharp sound of steel on steel clashing loudly in the early afternoon air. Elyan and Percival looked up, sending the two of them a happy wave as they took a quick breather. Gwaine and Leon, however, did not pause as Leon's sword met Gwaine's shield. Somehow it still looked like Gwaine was winning, despite his only being on defence.

Arthur called them all to attention, and soon enough the whole lot of them were bashing each other repeatedly with their swords. They did look elegant all together, their blades moving in perfect synchronisation and their red cloaks falling across their shoulders to make the simple act of training seem a sort of exotic dance. It was both fascinating and annoying to watch, but Merlin was only glad that he wasn't being used as a practice dummy today. After an hour of practice Arthur called them all back in, and five sweaty knights came over to where Merlin was waiting with a flask of water for each of them.

"So, Merlin." Gwaine commented lightly after half-draining his flask. "What'd you do with the boy from last night?"

"Boy from last night?" Arthur asked as Percival and Elyan snickered. Merlin didn't exactly understand the joke so he turned his attention back towards Arthur. Before he could get a word in, however, Gwaine was talking.

"Yeah. Last night, towards the end of my shift Merlin comes back in from the forest, but there's a dark haired boy with him." Gwaine explained, but now Arthur was staring at Merlin with a dangerous glint in his eyes.

"His name is Danny and he was lost." Merlin added.

"Right." Gwaine nodded. "He did say that he wanted to get away from his home town for a bit, and now he can't find the way back."

"So show him a map and send him on his way." Arthur commented dismissively.

Merlin opened his mouth again, but was once more cut off by Gwaine who was shaking his head. "I suspect he's from a little further out than you see on the map of the five kingdoms. His accent was strange to me, and I've been all over. I've never heard anyone that speaks like he did last night. So what did you end up doing with him?" Gwaine finished, directing the last question at him.

"I left him with Gaius this morning." Merlin answered with a shrug. "For the time being he's probably better off in Camelot, and since _someone_ decided to marry Gaius' most frequent assistant, I thought that he could use a hand."

"Let me get this straight." Arthur pressed, looking between Gwaine and Merlin. "You left an unknown stranger with our court physician, in a position where he can easily corrupt the chief medical supply of Camelot?"

"Well it sounds bad when you say it like that." Merlin replied, earning a snicker from Gwaine. The other knights seemed to have moved on, leaving the three of them alone in the training grounds.

"Really, Merlin." The blonde sighed, shaking his head. "Sometimes I do wonder if you ever think things through."

"Mate," Gwaine mock-whispered. "I think the princess is a bit annoyed at you."

Merlin couldn't help the smile that crept onto his lips as he remembered the conversation from last night. "I told you he'd find something to get annoyed at."

Arthur frowned in warning, and Gwaine burst out in laughter. "If you're really that worried," Merlin shrugged in reply. "Why don't you come meet him?"

The blonde nodded and set off, heading straight towards the castle gates. "Think he'll mind if I tag along?" Gwaine asked, quickly catching up to Merlin as he followed behind the king.

"Probably," Merlin answered "But it's not like there's anything he'd do about it."

"Great." Gwaine replied with an easy smile, matching Merlin's pace. "Did Danny end up saying anything more about how he got lost?"

Merlin frowned. "Nothing that would help figure out how to get him back home; you're right in saying that he comes from pretty far away. He didn't know that he was in Albion when I asked, and he didn't know Camelot even existed before I told him where he was."

Gwaine raised an eyebrow. "Interesting." The man commented as the two of them started up the spiralling staircase to the physician's chambers. "How could he have strayed so far without coming across some form of direction?"

"Gwaine," Merlin asked dryly, "how far did you roam between taverns without knowing which kingdom you were in?"

"Fair point" The rogue knight grinned as the two of them came to the right landing. Merlin was about to open to open the door when his brown eyed friend stopped him by laying a hand on his shoulder. "You know, he should probably be grateful that you're the one who found him."

"I think in his own way he is." Merlin replied with a soft smile. "Now, come on let's see how much damage the dollop-head has done."

Gwaine merely grinned before pushing the wooden door open. Naturally Arthur was already there, standing with expectant importance in the middle of the room. Merlin quickly noted that both Gaius and Danny were working side by side at the workbench. The two of them were extremely focussed on their task, adding ingredients to a bubbling pot. Gaius had a soft smile on his face, the one that he always wore when he got the opportunity to teach others about his craft. Danny had a look of curious concentration in his eyes, keenly watching as their concoction boiled.

Arthur coughed, startling the two of them. Gaius quickly looked up, nodding at Arthur. "Sire." The silver haired man said respectfully, taking a calculated step back from the bench.

"Gaius." Arthur replied. His stance was tight, and it was clear that he was surveying Danny with a warriors calculating eye. It was a trick that Merlin had never gotten the hang of, usually the extent of his observations consisted of if they had magic and/or some sort of pointy weapon. The set of Arthur's shoulder blades told Merlin that Arthur was seeing a lot more than he had, but what exactly that was, he didn't know.

The boy looked up at Arthur, and Merlin watched the curiosity that glimmered in his eyes. Danny's eyes flicked momentarily to Merlin and back again, and Merlin could see the question in his eyes. There was a glimmer of something akin to recognition, but it was gone an instant later.

"Your Highness, this is Danny." Gaius introduced, taking pity on the younger boy.

"Daniel, sire." The boy clarified before nodding submissively. Well at least he knew the bare bones of the rules of court. Merlin frowned; from here he didn't have the best view of Arthur, so it was hard to gauge his reactions to the younger boy. Beside him Gwaine smirked, clearly seeing something that Merlin didn't in the boy's response. Or perhaps it was just the way that accent strained against the word 'sire'.

"And I am Arthur Pendragon." Arthur responded with calculated coolness and an air of superciliousness that only _Arthur_ could carry off. "King of Camelot."

* * *

AN; I had to do a bit of Gaius/Danny bonding there, since he's sort of gonna be living in Camelot for a while. So it was a bit of a filler, but at the same time not.

And now Danny and Arthur meet, although once again he's getting a frosty reception. Silly Morgana... making everyone in Camelot suspicious of outsiders.

The Headache cure is Carmelite Water which, while I acknowledge wasn't invented till the 1600's, Gaius seems the sort of person to know how to make anyway.

Translation;  
Īsigfeðera Sunne – Ice-winged Sun


	6. Hātian Brond

Chapter 5

Hātian Brond 

Disclaimer: I own neither Danny Phantom nor Merlin

Danny blinked as a red cloak swirled out the door. His first meeting with the blonde king had been... intense. Talking to him though, it was hard to see the legendary king underneath the layers of paranoia and condescension. It was there, just not as obvious as the power Merlin's exuded was to him. The conversation itself had seemed only barely above an interrogation, but Danny had been fairly honest in his answers. He just hoped he didn't get Merlin in trouble, aside from being a terrible way to repay the man; it could completely mess up the timeline.

"What was that?" Danny asked, staring at the closed chamber door.

"That, was the princess." The knight from the previous night, Gwaine, Danny recognised, said.

"Is he always...?" Danny trailed, unsure of how to phrase the question without either raising suspicions or offending anyone.

"Pretty much." The dark haired knight commented, taking a lounging seat at the small table in the middle of the room.

"Camelot has been frequented by many ill meaning people of recent years." Gaius supplemented. "Many of its people have developed a certain sense of paranoia."

"Pretty much this is one of the most politically unstable kingdoms to have come visit." Gwaine commented from his seat at the small table.

Merlin sighed from beside the door. "Unfortunately, Arthur is still suffering for the betrayal of his half sister and his uncle." The raven-haired man said, taking a seat at the small table next to Gwaine. He gestured to the seat opposite him and Danny came over himself, Gaius drew over a stool so that all four of them could sit comfortably.

"That's not entirely fair, Merlin." Gaius added with a long suffering sigh. "The king has faced many trials over recent years, the least of which was the death of his father at the hand of sorcery. It would be remiss of him to completely trust strangers when it seems as though the people in his life will always betray him."

Danny nodded in understanding. In a way it was like that at home; many people were wary of strangers on the off chance that they ended up being ghosts. And he had faced his own share of betrayal, even if it was never long lasting. "That's fair." Danny commented. "And probably wise in the long run."

"Doesn't make it any easier for people like you though." Merlin said.

"Nah." Danny replied smiling softly. "All part of the fun. So long as he doesn't start taking it out on complete strangers I can respect that point of view."

"So what did you think of the princess?" Gwaine asked, leaning over his elbows.

Danny frowned, if he had to describe the young king it wouldn't be prideful or intimidating, for all the confidence that the young king presented. In fact, if he could only use one word it would be... "Courage" Danny replied. "He seemed very courageous. Like he wouldn't give up on anything, even if he had to take a more difficult path."

Danny paused when he noticed Merlin's round eyes, and the way that Gwaine had peaked his eyebrow in curiosity. "Really?" The red-cloaked knight asked. "That's not the impression I got off him when I first met him."

"It could be me transplanting my ideas of a good king onto him." Danny backpedalled. "I mean, I've never really met a _good_ king before; the only kings I've seen have been corrupted by the power they wield. And um..."

"I think I understand." Merlin said, taking over for Danny's floundering. "Relative to that, Arthur would have seemed kind and courageous given that he didn't just eliminate a perceived threat."

"Yeah, that." Danny agreed. "I mean, one of the kings I've met just took whatever he wanted and kept the people under a ridiculously oppressive rule. They weren't allowed to progress at all, they were stuck with the same technology which they had when the king came into power. And the other king was viciously cruel. If someone opposed him he destroyed them completely, and sometimes it was even if they just annoyed him or even looked at him."

Danny bit his lip as he realised how fast he'd been speaking and came to a half embarrassed stop. The knight was looking at him strangely and Merlin just looked plain alarmed. "Mate, where in Albion do you come from to have seen two kings like that." Gwaine asked with raised eyebrows. "I don't even think Morgana got that bad, even if she did play games with us."

"I'm not from Albion." Danny replied sadly. "And my home... kingdom... isn't so bad. It's just like anywhere else; if people start abusing their power then everyone suffers. It doesn't matter if they're a king or an everyday person, they can still cause pain all the same." It was weird trying to conform his understanding to the world into a medieval framework, and he felt like he was tripping over himself when he said it.

"And that," Gwaine commented "is precisely what makes Arthur a good king to follow. He's got people like Merlin and me to keep him in check." The knight affectionately ruffled Merlin's head and Merlin fruitlessly attempted to dislodge the older man.

Eventually Gwaine let go of Merlin, and the blue eyed man sent a half-hearted glare at the knight. "Speaking of the princess." Gwaine commented looking at Merlin. "Shouldn't a certain manservant be making sure he doesn't trip over his own cloak wherever he's supposed to be next?"

"Drat." Merlin said, shaking his head. "He won't know who he's supposed to be talking to. Um Danny..."

"Don't worry mate." Gwaine commented. "I'll look out for the boy. Give him the full tour of the castle. Sound like a good idea, Danny?" Danny nodded appreciatively for the offer.

"Thank you Gwaine. I better..." Merlin began; a sincere gratefulness in his eye.

"Merlin!" The sound of King Arthur echoed through the chamber door, making all four of them jump slightly.

"I'd better go see what he wants." Merlin finished, and in a repeat of that morning he was out the door in an instant.

"They won't admit it, but anyone can see that they're actually good friends." The knight commented as the heavy wooden door swung closed. "Gaius, do you mind if I do take Danny on a tour? Merlin said he'd been helping you all day so..."

"As long as you show him where the well is that would be fine." The silver haired man replied. "I would like him back before late, so no visiting the tavern."

"Great." Gwaine said with a large smile, rising from the table himself and stepping out the door.

"Oh, and Danny," Gaius commented as he moved to follow Gwaine. "Do take care of yourself." Danny nodded, hearing the underlying warning in his voice; to be careful about what he said in case it revealed anything he shouldn't know. Danny shook his head. He'd enjoyed spending the morning with Gaius; the man was somehow both inquisitive and wise. Actually he was a lot like the 'Merlin' Danny would have expected based on the legend. But Danny didn't know of a Gaius in the stories of King Arthur and Merlin. Then again, his knowledge of the subject wasn't exactly the best.

Gwaine, however, he did know of. Sam had taken particular interest in the story of 'Gawain and the Green Knight'. She found it morbidly fascinating, but Danny admittedly hadn't been paying much attention to her then. All he knew was to be wary of knights dressed in green who offered to exchange a blow for a blow.

"So, Courage, huh?" Gwaine asked as he led Danny down the spiralling staircase. Danny just made a noncommittal noise in response. Beside him Gwaine nodded, a strange sparkle in his eye. "You know, I once met another person who called Arthur 'Courage'."

Danny half frowned, he recognised that tone from Jazz when she wanted to pry into something that wasn't her business. The problem was he was in a different time to his own. So he barely even knew the cards that were on the table. He felt like he was trying to play poker with Sam's tarot deck, so instead he tried to deflect the question.

"Well, I've met lots of people who just call themself by their biggest personality trait." Danny commented. "Most prominent of them were Pariah Dark and Fright Knight."

Gwaine paused at the bottom of the staircase. "I can't tell if you're being serious or if you're pulling my leg."

Danny just chose to just smile enigmatically in response. There was a short silence before Gwaine chose to break it. "Where do you really come from?" The brown haired man asked curiously.

"A long way away." Danny replied. "What's it like being a knight?" He asked, more for the sake of distraction than anything else.

"Entertaining." The brown eyed man replied. "In Camelot it's rare to have too much down-time. There's always some quest to be going on or some sorcerous rebellion that needs squashing. Never a dull moment. Why? Think you're knight material?"

Danny shook his head. "Considering I've held a sword maybe twice in my life, no." He replied lightly. Gwaine led the way out a different doorway and into what Danny could only guess was the main courtyard. It was busy, and the early afternoon sun was beaming down onto the soft grey stones.

"But you can fight." Gwaine pressed.

"What makes you say that?" Danny asked.

"The way you walk," The dark-haired knight replied. "It's guarded. And you place your feet to make very little noise as you move. And earlier when you stumbled it was controlled."

Danny frowned. He knew he walked more quietly than most people did, Sam had commented enough about it this last year. But his clumsiness was natural, or at least natural in his human form. "I hadn't noticed." Danny replied honestly. "I know a little about hands on defence, mostly out of necessity, but little more."

"Necessity?" Gwaine asked, but it was with light curiosity rather than defensive interrogation.

"When I was younger I wound up in a lot of fights." Danny explained. "Most of the people I was up against were bigger and stronger than me. Sorta came down to learn or suffer the consequences, often with an evil laugh tacked on."

Gwaine snickered, his eyes twinkling with mirth. "I think I like you, Danny." The man said, leading Danny through a large archway and out to an open green. Danny could see a number of people in red cloaks out on the field, and the clash of metal rang in the air. A number of weapon racks and shields sat idly by a number of tents, and there were a few of the red cloaked people milling aside or watching a particularly interesting fight.

Danny only noted two people specifically; one was tall with short blonde hair, almost in a military buzz cut. His chainmail was sleeveless, showing off huge muscles. But despite his bulk he moved with fluidity, easily matching his opponent. The dark skinned man was shorter, but held strong against the blows that the tall man dealt. Danny was awed with the skill and power behind each blow. While it was clear that this was just a training match, Danny could see the force that went behind each strike.

"Tall one's Sir Percival, the other is Sir Elyan." Gwaine said idly as he noticed Danny's awed gaze. Percival swung wide, whether by accident or to prepare another blow Danny wasn't sure, but Elyan took the opportunity and cut in, his sword hovering by Percival's neck in a killing position.

"Wow." Danny commented with wide eyes. It was one thing to fight ghosts, even to visit Dora's kingdom, which was populated by people from this sort of time frame. But ghosts were ghosts, and practically immortal. The fights they had were a different calibre than this. Danny was awed by the skill demonstrated by these two human men, and the way that they bowed as a team for their watching audience at the end.

"They are pretty good." Gwaine commented. "But they're better when they're not putting on a show. Isn't that right you two?" The last sentences were called just loudly enough to earn a half scowl from the two red-clad knights.

"Sod off Gwaine." Percival groused, but there was no heat in it.

"Why do you have Merlin with you?" Elyan asked, as the two knights walked over. But they both paused when they got closer.

Gwaine looked at Danny and laughed. "Elyan, Mate. This isn't Merlin."

"Nope, doesn't have the right ears." The taller man added as he and Elyan got close enough.

"And he doesn't have a neckerchief." Gwaine added, circling Danny almost predatorily.

Danny took a step back, thrown off kilter by the knights. His foot caught on something and before he knew it he was on the ground. "But he is just as clumsy as Merlin." Danny heard Elyan say. Gwaine however hummed thoughtfully, watching as Danny stood up and brushed himself down.

"I'm Danny." He introduced himself, trying to fight back his embarrassment. Clumsiness was a natural part of his life as Fenton, even if he couldn't figure out why his ghost form and human form were so different. Jazz had once tried to explain it as something to do with his own subconscious expectations of his human self manifesting physically in his human form. Or something. To be honest, the psychobabble had gone over his head.

Elyan and Percival nodded in unison, but Gwaine was staring at him inquisitively. "I'm curious." The dark haired knight said, his brown eyes sparkling mischievously. "See, it's not often that we get new blood through Camelot, and I'm interested to see how well someone from 'a long way away' handles some of Camelot's own."

Danny bit his lip in confusion, but wasn't given much time to think before the dark haired knight swung at him. Danny dodged the punch easily, compared to a ghost, even the fastest human moved at snail's pace. But Gwaine seemed to take it as a challenge. The knight grinned at him with friendly daring. Danny sent the tiniest of nods back, realising that Gwaine would probably dog him about it until he was proven right on whatever point the brown eyed knight thought he had to make.

The two of them moved out to wider ground, Gwaine beaming in anticipation all the way. An unspoken signal passed between them, and then Gwaine surged forward.

* * *

Arthur groaned tiredly as he rubbed his knuckles on his forehead. Despite the fact that he didn't have many pressing obligations today, he was quickly developing a headache. The Potters Guild meeting had finally finished, but only after a half hour of complaining about the quality of clay that was coming into Camelot. Fortunately the meeting had concluded with relative ease, after Arthur had promised to look into a better quality supply of clay for them.

Now he was back in his chambers, attempting to catch up with some of his work while Merlin pottered around cleaning the room. The younger man was humming absently, and it was only adding to his headache. Arthur sighed, giving up on the attempt to rub his temples into submission, and instead stared at the long list of taxes that he had to read over before the next council meeting. After five minutes staring at the long list of numbers he gave up and instead walked over to the mantle to pour himself a glass of wine.

"You know you really shouldn't be having that before your dinner with Gwen." Merlin commented, suddenly by his side with a water jug in his hands.

"Merlin." Arthur reprimanded, annoyance flaring in his eyes. "You do realise that this is entirely your fault."

Merlin, however grinned at him "And what exactly makes you say that, sire?" the impertinent man asked. And somehow he still managed to make the word 'sire' sound like an insult.

"Hmm." Arthur hummed as though he was legitimately thinking of a reason why. "Let's see. First of all you completely fail to do anything useful during training, then you tell me you've brought a complete stranger into the castle, and now you won't stop making that infernal humming noise and let me think."

Merlin raised an eyebrow. "At training I did everything you asked of me, so if I wasn't 'useful' it's your fault for not asking. And you know I always hum when I work, so I hardly see how that makes any difference to anything. As for Danny, you do realise that every day hundreds of people come into and out of the citadel, so it shouldn't matter that I brought one more in."

Arthur frowned, looking down into the red liquid of his cup. "It's not every day that you bring a warrior into Camelot Merlin." He murmured.

"Danny's not a warrior." Merlin scoffed.

"That is precisely the problem." Arthur replied, turning to look his manservant in the eyes. "He doesn't look like it, but his movements betray him. It's in his eyes too, as well as something else that I can't quite place." Arthur frowned reflectively. It wasn't precisely that he didn't trust the boy; he had been perfectly candid during their brief meeting. And he had convinced Arthur that he genuinely was lost and a very good distance from home.

The problem was that he could easily see that the boy was more than met the eye. He could understand that Merlin wouldn't see it, but Arthur had been trained as a warrior since birth. Arthur could see battle honed reflexes in the way the boy moved, but at the same time there was an incongruent clumsiness that rivalled that of Merlin. He had always been taught to get a quick read on his opponents, to predict their every movement and how to best counter it. But he couldn't do that for this boy, and it unsettled him.

"He's lost." Merlin pointed out, rather unhelpfully.

"I am well aware of that, Merlin." Arthur replied.

"No." The dark haired man replied reflectively. "I think it's more than that. Do you remember all that time ago when you came to Ealdor to deal with Kanan?" Arthur simply nodded. "You asked me why I left Ealdor and I said I just didn't fit in anymore." The man sighed, walking away from Arthur and moving to the window.

"You said you wanted to find somewhere you did." Arthur finished, recalling that night. That was the first time he'd seen a different side of Merlin. He'd always known that Merlin was brave but foolish, but seeing him there in that small village had brought home how much strength the dark haired man really had. And seeing the harsh life those people led had helped him see how amazing Merlin could be, even if it had turned out that Merlin's oldest friend was really a sorcerer.

"I think Danny's like that." Merlin murmured. "I get the feeling that he's searching for somewhere he fits in nearly as much as I was back then."

Arthur sighed, looking at the slight slump in his manservant's shoulders. He hadn't understood what had led Merlin to be so at odds with the people of Ealdor that he'd felt he needed to leave, nor could Arthur ever figure out how Merlin had managed to fit in so seamlessly here. But now he couldn't picture Camelot without Merlin. Sighing heavily Arthur came to stand behind his friend.

"Then it looks like you have yourself a ward." Arthur said, laying a hand on the man's shoulder. But seeing the telltale signs of Merlin's getting excited he flattened his tone. "Perhaps this way your chores will actually be finished on time, and I'm sure Gaius wouldn't mind the occasional assistance." Arthur smiled as Merlin bristled briefly before breaking into a wide grin. With a sigh (that no doubt Merlin would assume was fondness) Arthur suggested that they go find the boy and tell him both of the news and his duties.

"That's fine. I left him with Gwaine." Merlin replied.

"You left him with Gwaine?" Arthur repeated, unable to think of a suitable reprimand he just settled for an exasperated "Merlin!" before heading out the door. Arthur and Merlin then traced their way to the physician's chambers, hoping to catch the two before Gwaine got Daniel into too much trouble. However on arrival in the herb-scented room they found that Gwaine had elected to take the boy on a tour of the castle. Thus Arthur re-angled himself, choosing the most direct path towards the Rising Sun. Given Gwaine's natural tendencies it seemed a likely stop on his 'tour'.

Arthur led the way down the spiralling staircase, but when he got to the main courtyard he paused, hearing a commotion echoing from the training grounds. Exchanging a glance with Merlin he once more changed direction and stalked out the archway and through to the open grounds where he had left his knights training earlier in the afternoon. What he did not expect was a small audience of knights and soldiers staring out at the training field.

Being the king that he was, Arthur quickly carved a path through the knights to come up to the fence that marked the edge of the training grounds. Gwaine was casually leaning over the fence, chewing idly on an apple which Arthur had no idea where the man had pulled it out from. The dark haired knight was studying the field intensely, and Arthur followed his gaze. His eyes widened as he realised that Percival was fighting against a much smaller opponent, but it was only when the two moved that Arthur saw that it was the boy, Daniel, who was fighting against Camelot's largest knight.

"Impressive, isn't he." Gwaine commented, not moving his gaze from the fight. And he was right. Both of them held only wooden sticks, but the way that they moved it was clear that Percival was not going easy on the younger boy. Yet despite the intensity of the blows, Daniel was able to deflect each one and move around the larger man with ease.

"It would seem so." Arthur replied, careful not to reveal his surprise.

"What I find most interesting," Gwaine mused aloud after a minute "Is his footwork. He's light on his feet, but he stays on the balls of his toes. It almost looks like he's ready to jump into the air." Arthur frowned, watching the boy's movements more critically. Gwaine was right; it looked as though somehow it was effortful to stay on the ground. But that didn't make sense; every good warrior knew that they needed to use the ground to their full advantage.

Suddenly a loud crack snapped across the training grounds, and Daniel's stick snapped cleanly in half. Arthur smiled, despite Daniel's obvious skill it was certain that Percival would win now. However Arthur was further surprised as the dark haired boy ducked under Percival's follow up attack and was able to press his back tightly against the larger man's chest, Percival's stick pulled out of his hands as he swung. A moment later the tables had turned and Percival tripped over the stick as it was swept beneath his feet. The larger man toppled, overbalanced, and Arthur stared as the boy held the stick precisely above the man's chest.

It was impressive. Very impressive. The boy had gone from a sure loss to victory in all of three seconds, even when his own 'weapon' had been destroyed. Arthur pressed his lips together as he watched the boy help Percival back up. Beside him Gwaine was grinning triumphantly, as though he had just proven some huge point. "I knew it." The brown eyed man smirked as he tossed the apple core over his shoulder.

"What did you know?" Merlin asked curiously from behind Arthur, almost making the young king jump.

"That he could fight." Gwaine replied. "Last night when you introduced us I did the typical threat evaluation that the princess here is so fond of. But I could have sworn that he did the same for me. So I wanted to see how good he actually was."

"And was played with for nearly twenty minutes before Danny got bored and ended the fight." Elyan commented as he appeared on Gwaine's far side.

"I could've taken him." Gwaine defended.

"Anyway, then Percival thought he might give the boy a workout since clearly Gwaine couldn't handle it." Elyan continued as though Gwaine hadn't said anything. Arthur smiled inwardly at the dynamics of his knights. Although it was surprising that Daniel had been able to fight with Gwaine for so long. Gwaine was renowned for his employment of many different battle techniques, so it usually didn't take too long before the man was able to pull a trick that nobody had seen before and thus earn the sway of the fight.

"He's a fierce little bugger." Gwaine surrendered. "Clever too. He's got a good amount of strength to him, but he's better about redirecting physical attacks."

"Maybe he'll be able to teach Merlin a thing or two." Arthur commented, sending a teasing grin at his dark haired servant. Before the man got a chance to reply however Daniel and Percival reached them. There was a hint of a smile in the larger man's eyes, and Arthur got the distinct impression that Daniel was going to fall prey to a prank in return for his victory. Sure enough, as soon as the boy stopped he was caught in a headlock beneath Percival's no doubt sweaty armpit. The boy struggled for a minute as the larger man ruffled the boy's hair with a knuckled fist before releasing him, and the disgruntled look in Daniel's blue eyes made everyone laugh.

The boy shook his head in a movement that reminded Arthur of a younger Merlin before the boy took note that Arthur and Merlin had appeared. He smiled sheepishly at Merlin before nodding vaguely deferentially towards Arthur. It was interesting to watch; the warriors grace was still there, but it was reserved. Probably only a trained fighter could see it beneath the surface. On the outside he looked like a clumsy shy child, no doubt from a small poor village.

"Daniel." Arthur acknowledged, meeting the boy's eyes for a moment before turning to face Gwaine. "Sir Gwaine, given what we have just seen, what is your opinion of young Daniel?"

Gwaine looked at Arthur, evaluating him carefully before he continued. "I do not believe he bears any ill will to Camelot or its people." The knight said eloquently. "And he could prove an asset to have around, if simply because he is able to employ different techniques than we do."

"Good." Arthur replied with a knowing smile. He turned his "I am glad you think that because Merlin here has accepted to take Daniel on as a ward."

Arthur inwardly smirked as he watched the reactions to this statement. Daniel's eyes widened and glittered somewhere between confusion and gratitude. From his left side he felt Merlin stiffen; obviously the young man had not thought Arthur was being entirely serious in his earlier declaration. Elyan and Percival each had similar smiles, edged with cautious kindness. Gwaine however grinned, stepping over to the boy and tousling his hair.

"Well then I guess I can officially say welcome to Camelot, Danny." The knight declared brightly, his brown eyes sparkling mirthfully. "Now, which way to the tavern so we can celebrate?" He asked, beaming, and Arthur couldn't help but join in as Merlin and the knights laughed.

* * *

AN; Sorry for not doing the actual interaction between Danny and Arthur, but it was pretty much gonna be a repeat of what has already happened. This way you get the hint of suspicious Gwaine.

I hope you enjoyed; I had fun writing this. And to everyone familiar with Merlin the series, I figure Danny, being a creature of the Old Religion, would innately know names like 'Courage' for Arthur.

Translation;  
Hātian Brond – Heating Fire

Fare thee well,

Bluerose


	7. Winterbiter Frumsceaft

Chapter 6

Winterbiter Frumsceaft

Disclaimer: I own neither Danny Phantom nor Merlin

Merlin sighed, slumping heavily against the door of the Physician's chambers. Since seeing Danny on the training field his day had become hectic to say the least. Between finishing off his chores for Arthur for the rest of the day and sorting out arrangements for Danny Merlin had not had opportunity to stop. Gwaine had offered to let Danny sleep in the small vacant servant's quarters off his chambers, but Arthur had mercifully denied that request saying that _'Danny was Merlin's responsibility now'_. The king had further been kind enough to arrange for a small pallet to be sent to his room so the boy wouldn't be sleeping on the floor.

"Good evening, Merlin." Gaius said, raising an eyebrow from behind the workbench. "Dinner's on the table if you want it."

Merlin nodded tiredly and walked over, virtually collapsing into the seat. Lethargically he eyed the bowl on the table, but upon realising that he was really too tired to care he dipped the spoon in and took a mouthful. He was surprised to note that it was actually not bad. Usually Gaius' dinners had a distinctly burnt seasoning, good a physician as the elder man may be, he was apt to be distracted by a patient or a potion.

"Where's Danny?" Merlin asked between mouthfuls.

Gaius gestured to the small mezzanine bookshelf and Merlin found himself looking up. Danny was sitting on the top step, his face buried in a book. Merlin raised an eyebrow at his mentor, noting the slightly put-out scowl on the younger boy's face.

"After his display with Sir Gwaine this afternoon, I thought it best to keep him preoccupied until you came back." Gaius explained softly. "He's been helping me with potions since Gwaine left him back here. At the moment I am having him read through a book of common herbology."

"He can read?" Merlin asked with genuine curiosity. After all, it wasn't common for people of the lower classes to learn to read. It was a skill usually left to the nobility, and even then it was only for those who could afford educated teachers and who actually valued being literate. Merlin, of course, had been taught by his mother, who had in turn been taught by Gaius.

"Most people in my time can." Danny answered with a murmur, his voice calling down from the top step even as he came down from the mezzanine. "We all have a standardised education, in theory its equal opportunity for all. I don't think it's possible to live _without_ being able to read anymore."

"Fascinating," Gaius mused as he sat down in his armchair. "A society that places priority on education and the scholastic pursuits..."

Merlin shook his head, knowing that Gaius would love to be afforded the opportunity to see that happen. The man was a scholar at heart, and the idea of a world where everyone valued education as much as he did would seem ideal for him.

"We all have to learn, we don't all have to like it." Danny groused, coming down the steps to take a seat opposite Merlin.

"_You _have to be careful about what you call people." Merlin commented, pointing his spoon accusingly at Danny. "You can't go around calling Arthur 'Courage'."

"Why?" Danny asked. "Gwaine pointed it out earlier, but I don't get what's specifically wrong with it."

"What's wrong," Gaius interjected "is that it marks you as a creature of magic. Gwaine is aware of this, having being named himself on a quest with Arthur and Merlin."

"Strength." Danny murmured apparently to himself. "Sorry, it's just that I've never met humans who are like... an embodiment of an ideal, before."

"Embodiment of an ideal?" Gaius pressed, and Merlin noted the genuine intrigue in his voice.

Danny nodded. "A lot of ghosts are that way, Kilgharrah said they are obsessive... creatures, and I guess he's right. I mean, everything that they are is dedicated to that one thing or a single idea. But I've never met a human who is like that. They can come close, but it's never so... I don't know how to describe it."

"So... If Arthur is Courage, and Gwaine is Strength, then what about the others?" Merlin asked, only to get a reprimanding _'Merlin'_ from Gaius' direction. "What? I'm allowed to be curious; I can't exactly drag everyone in front of Kilgharrah for his verdict, now can I?"

"You're Magic." Danny replied with a wry smile, ignoring Gaius' protestations. "But that's probably not a surprise. Elyan is Humility; he isn't boastful and can see the value in the contributions of others. And Percival, Percival is Protection; he'll defend anyone who can't defend themselves."

"Are you quite satisfied now?" Gaius reprimanded, sending Merlin a scathing look. Merlin however grinned.

"Almost. Danny, do Gaius." Merlin requested, staring the blue eyed boy down.

Danny however creased his eyebrows. "I'm not sure." Danny said slowly. "Gaius is more like a normal human, he's more than one ideal. If I had to, I'd say Wisdom or Experience, maybe Patience. Like I said, a human embodying an ideal is not common."

"While I admit it is interesting that you can make a judgement at all," Gaius pointed out. "It is a judgement that must not be made outside of these chambers. It may be an amusing talent for you two, but it is one that could end up getting the both of you killed."

Merlin pressed his lips firmly together, suitably chastised. Danny slumped in his chair, suddenly looking very tired. Merlin pushed the empty bowl away and headed up the staircase to his bedroom. Merlin sat on the bed, staring up at the ceiling for a minute before he loosened the floorboard and pulled out his magic book. A minute or so later the door creaked and Danny stepped in.

"How do you do it?" He asked, and Merlin understood exactly what he meant.

"I have faith," Merlin replied, looking up at the boy. "Faith that one day things will be better, that Arthur can bring about a time where everyone is equal."

Danny nodded, moving to sit on the pallet that had been left on the floor for him. "My parents are ghost hunters." He confessed. "They're brilliant scientists, but their primary goal in life is to find, study and destroy every ghost they can catch."

Merlin's eyes widened, and the magic book suddenly became very heavy in his lap. "Then how...?" Merlin trailed, looking at the boy in a new light.

"How am I still alive?" Danny sighed. "Luck, mostly. It's one thing to know what they plan to do, but knowing that it's mom and dad that are the ones aiming the weapons is... not a comforting feeling. I'll admit, sometimes I wonder how it's even possible to keep going."

"Then why do you stay?" Merlin asked, his fingers absently stroking the pages of his book, as though it could bring him comfort. After all, while Danny may have been destined to be, he wasn't born with a foretold Destiny. His path wasn't dictated by an ancient Prophecy, and his Destiny wasn't tied to another's like Merlin and Arthur's were.

"Why do you?" Danny retorted, not angrily, but there was a sadness that Merlin could empathise with.

"It's my destiny." Merlin replied. "I'm supposedly meant to help Arthur become the greatest king that ever will be, help him bring equality and unite Albion."

Danny nodded understandingly, with a knowing smile that probably had more to do with the fact that he came from the future than it did with knowing of the prophecies. "It may not be my destiny, but it's my duty to stay, to protect them and keep them safe. But that aside, I care for them, I'd never want to see any harm come to them."

"And that's why there's no real choice in leaving." Merlin said, knowing what the younger boy needed to hear. "Because even if you're scared of being discovered it's easier to live with that risk, than to abandon them and never know if they're safe."

Danny nodded and an odd smile quirked on his lips. "You know I never thought I'd meet someone who could understand that."

"To be honest, neither did I." Merlin admitted. "Gaius tries, but sometimes I'll look at him..."

"And you can see him puzzling over why, or he'll say something that makes you realise..."

"That as much as he tries to sympathise, he can never _quite_ understand." Merlin finished, blinking as he realised how synchronised their thoughts had just been. Danny looked up at Merlin for a tense moment before the two of them laughed, dispelling the strange atmosphere that had gathered in the room.

"What's that book about?" Danny asked after a minute, looking at the book still pressed in Merlin's lap.

Merlin frowned; he'd never shared this with anyone. It had always been the secret that he had to keep away from everyone, hidden away in the dark. Even Gaius was reticent in asking about it, despite the fact that he was the one who had given it to Merlin. But Danny... Danny was a creature of magic, and Merlin was well aware of that. He could feel the chilled power that circulated through the boy like blood, emanating out from him. And Danny did understand the need to hide, even going so far out of his way as to hide evidence of his futuristic heritage inside the wall where none but he could find it.

"It is my magic book." Merlin answered hesitantly. "Gaius gave it to me when I first came to Camelot, and I have used it ever since to help protect both Arthur and the people."

"Wow." Danny murmured, shaking his head almost sadly. "I have a friend back home who'd love to be able to see something like that."

"I will find out how to get you home, Danny." Merlin promised.

Danny smiled. "I know." He replied. "What were you looking for?" He asked, turning his gaze to the book. From his current seat on his pallet it was unlikely that Danny could see anything more than the cover. Merlin gestured to a spot next to him on the bed and swivelled around so that Danny could look.

"I was mostly looking out of boredom." Merlin commented. "I've read it through more times than I can count, but sometimes I'll come across something that I haven't thought of before."

Danny creased his eyebrows looking at the page. It was densely packed; this page was one of the more theoretical pages that the book held. It was also one of the pages that Merlin looked at the least since he would probably never have an opportunity to practice it well enough to use. That was the biggest downfall in being a sorcerer in Camelot. He had nearly unlimited power, but he could never practice. That was why people like Morgana were a genuine threat; they could use magic in ways that he simply hadn't been afforded the opportunity to practice.

"Animal transmutation?" Danny asked, and Merlin could feel his questioning stare.

Merlin offered a sad smile. "I know the theory inside and out, I know the spells. But it's ridiculously complicated and most people can't get it to work right anyway. If I had the opportunity to practice, I think it'd be useful, but I can't."

"But you should." Danny replied with creased eyebrows. "If you're Camelot's main defence against dark magic, then you need to be able to rely on your powers every time."

Merlin let out a sharp exhale. "It's not like I get much opportunity to practice, Danny." Merlin bit back. "Between chores for Arthur and Gaius I rarely get a chance to sleep, let alone practice magic like this. And even when I do, I can't just practice in here."

"Then I'll help you." Danny replied determinedly. "Arthur said that in order to earn my keep I had to help you with your job, and that's what I plan to do; even the parts of your job that he doesn't know about. Just show me the ropes and I'll back you up. That way you'll have more time to practice, which is far more important than mopping floors in my opinion."

Merlin sent him a half smile. "While I do agree with the idea, in all odds Arthur will just add more to the list since I have help now."

"We'll see." Danny said, standing up from the bed and shifting across to his pallet. "I still say practice is more important than chores."

Merlin shook his head and rolled his eyes before allowing himself a soft laugh. He eyed the page for a minute more before closing the book and flicking out the candle. No doubt the morning would bring about its own challenges; Danny had yet to spend a day doing real work in Camelot after all, but Merlin couldn't help the small smile that crept onto his lips as he settled in to sleep. Beside him the dark haired boy was already dozing, favouring the black cloak as a blanket. It was still strange to share a room with a fellow being of magic, but the prospect of getting to practice; really practice was enticing in its own right. With a contented sigh Merlin drifted off, embracing the relaxing warmth of sleep.

* * *

King Eadric Blæcādlig of Daobeth scowled, thumping his fist heavily against the table. It had been five years since his ascension to the throne, but he was not satisfied with the condition of his kingdom. The kingdom of Daobeth had always been a small sovereignty, but in the few short years since he had overpowered the previous monarchy he had brought it from the crumbling backwater skeleton it had been since the Siege of Dragons many years before, and turned into a thriving military power. He had singlehandedly won his kingdom and rebuilt it from the ground up.

The previous king had been an uncle on his mother's side of the family, and had believed in the nonsense of 'equality'. Eadric had only ever seen his uncle as weak; if you did not assert your authority over the masses then they would rebel and the kingdom would fall. Power, Eadric believed, should be given only to those who would use it, and Eadric had used his thoroughly. So few leaders saw the true means to assuring their power, and were thus unworthy of wielding it.

However the reports that he had been getting back from his spies across Albion had set him seething. A time of 'peace' was growing, apparently spearheaded by that nonsense King of Camelot, Arthur Pendragon. Eadric snarled, his eyes flashing angrily to a dark robed spy, hunched pitifully at his feet. The paltry sorcerer had been part of a network who had regularly reported back to him, but his four companions had apparently been trapped and executed by a company of knights.

Eadric hardly cared for that loss; it was the fact that his spies had been caught in the first place. He used sorcerers as spies because they were supposed to have better elusive techniques than the common man. In fact, Eadric had no qualms about the use of magic; it was just another power that he could dominate over. His sorcerers were scared, loyal to him because he was their one true source of security. After all, nowhere else in Albion was there a kingdom even willing to accept sorcery. And even if they had to sacrifice some of their freedoms to buy this security, it was still a safer option for them to serve Eadric than to wander the rest of Albion.

This was Eadric's secret method to success. His public views of magic were particularly antagonistic; he firmly believed that the power of magic corrupted the user. Anyone who had access to power over the natural world was prey to illusions of grandeur and a false sense of supremacy. However Eadric was willing to enlist any number of magic users into his service; it was empowering for him to wield his threats over the magic users. Eadric himself possessed no magic, but that hardly mattered. With all the sorcerers at his command he was in control of the most powerful magical well in all of Albion.

Eadric stood up from his throne, using his entire six foot five of height to dominate over the small sorcerer. "You have disappointed me, sorcerer." Eadric hissed, taking a step towards the shorter man. Eadric paused, raising his hand to clasp the sorcerer's rodent-like chin in his fist. "And I do not take kindly to disappointment."

"I'm sorry sire." The ratty man beseeched, his knees hitting the floor meekly as he pulled away from Eadric's grasp. "We didn't mean to get caught... we... we tried to escape, but our magic was not strong enough. I barely escaped with my life, sire. I beg of you, please, mercy."

"Enough!" Eadric snarled, backhanding the snivelling man with his left hand and leaving a bleeding cut as his ring dug into the man's sweaty face. "You have proven yourself incapable of the tasks assigned to you. I grant your kind clemency only so long as you can repay my leniency."

"No, sire I..." The sorcerer tried to cut in, but Ealdric continued over him, not even bothering to raise his voice.

"You have not only let _me_ down, but you have allowed others to become aware of your identity. I will not tolerate such insubordination in my kingdom." Ealdric pressed, standing erect and no longer meeting the sorcerer in the eye. "You are hereby charged with using magic and enchantments against the service of your king. There is but one sentence I can give. Guards!" Ealdric decreed. "Escort this sorcerer to the dungeons. And alert the executioner that his services are needed."

Eadric's nostrils flared as he watched the sorcerer dragged out of the room, still begging for mercy. The heavy doors slammed closed, and Eadric spun around back to the map that was stretched across the table at the side of the room. It was a large map of Albion, depicting all the current territories and their alliances. Daobeth was small and landlocked; the land itself was only fertile due to Eadric's strict recruitment of magic users. He had been slowly expanding his reach; already many of the towns on the outer edges of the neighbouring kingdoms were defecting to him for fear of his wrath.

Daobeth was a hard won kingdom, and Eadric was not about to let that young blonde upstart destroy all that he had worked for. He growled as he slammed a dagger into the heart of Camelot, the sharp hole bringing the king some satisfaction from his ire. It had been a worthy during the time of Uther Pendragon, led by a strong and intelligent leader. While the deceased king had been a fool to renounce the power of magic, at least Uther had appreciated the essential role of power in controlling a kingdom.

His pithy son was worthless, attempting to reconcile disputes between the kingdoms with peace and by creating flimsy treaties. Eadric shook his head disdainfully at the notion; that was a sure way to breed rebellion. Arthur Pendragon was clearly unable to prove his worth in a demonstration of power, and Eadric was certain that the Pendragon Dynasty was doomed to fall under Arthur's reign. He eyed the map, taking in the details of the land between his kingdom and that of the fool king.

His fingers absently strummed across the table as he mused. Dark images of the blonde king, oozing forsaken blood for his ignorance, filled his mind and elicited a lustful smirk from the green eyed king. Eadric jerked his head up once, summoning his pet sorcerer to his side with a wordless command.

"Kilian" Eadric acknowledged, still staring at the map. "What is the progress of our forces?"

The hazel eyed man stood beside him, surveying the map with military understanding. "The foot soldiers are still training, sire, and will probably be satisfactory within the month. Your general knights are ever ready, and the contingent of sorcerers is gaining power steadily." Killian reported succinctly.

Eadric eyed the man out of the corner of his eye. Oily brown hair and pallid skin; Kilian had never looked healthy since Eadric had known him. But he was a force to be reckoned with, one of the most powerful sorcerers and a fearsome warrior combined into a deadly whole. "Any recent additions?" Eadric pressed.

"Only two." Kilian replied. "A hedge witch whom we have appropriated to the task of working the farms, and a young man of reasonable offensive power. He is training with the contingent as we speak."

"Good." Eadric replied, his eyes fixed firmly on the map. Idly he pulled the dagger out, staring at the large cut rent straight through the heart of Camelot. "Soon Albion shall see that power is the only force worthy of dominion in this land."

* * *

Danny groaned tiredly, drained from just four days of following Merlin around and assisting the young warlock with his chores. Arthur was more of a slave driver than Tucker had been when he was being controlled by the ghost Hotep-Ra. Not that Danny had been around the blonde king much himself. Merlin had spent the first day showing Danny the servant's route through the castle and ensuring that Danny knew the basics of what would be expected of him as 'Merlin's Ward'.

Thereafter he had been delegated some of the more tedious of chores, like polishing shoes or the laundry. That had been a trial in itself since Danny had no idea how to wash anything by hand, let alone the fine clothes that Merlin wanted him to clean. But he had gotten the hang of it eventually, even if it was still unfamiliar. That said, when he got home he was never going to complain about laundry duty again; a washing machine was so much easier than wrestling against clothes in a boiling hot tub of water with a paddle, and hand wringing everything out when he was finished.

He didn't mind helping Gaius out; in fact Gaius had been surprised when on Danny's third day in Camelot he'd pretty much treated one of the knights who had been injured in training by himself. Sir Kay had come to the physician's chambers with a two inch cut on his arm and Danny had leapt into action. It wasn't that different from treating his own wounds after a ghost fight, all that he added in was Gaius' antiseptic salve and a dab of honey. And helping the elder man, while challenging, was about as close to being home as he could get in this time. So Danny gravitated more towards the 'Physician's assistant' aspect of Merlin's jobs.

However, Gwaine seemed to take some sort of perverse pleasure in dragging Danny out to the training fields whenever he got the chance. Sometimes Merlin was there too, acting as something like a tackle-dummy for the blonde king. Arthur had fortunately not wanted to spar with Danny, but watched intently whenever Gwaine enlisted him to help the knights. In fact, sometimes it felt like Danny was being treated as something of a squire by Gwaine and the other knights, even if the king still treated him with wary caution.

Somewhere along the line Danny had been introduced to Sir Leon – who Danny had identified as Loyalty to Merlin later in the evening – but he had not yet met the Queen. That was mostly down to the fact that Camelot was apparently preparing for a delegation from each of ten kingdoms of Albion in for a never before conceived peace treaty. The first delegation wasn't due to arrive until the end of the month, but the audacity of this endeavour meant preparing nearly every room in the castle for occupation. Camelot's people were very busy, and Danny found himself struggling to keep up with it.

However after spending five days in Camelot, Danny had learned a number of things not just about the legendary city, but also about himself. The first was that he actually didn't need much to eat or much sleep. Three years of near constant ghost fights had rarely afforded him a break, and he had never noticed how much this aspect of ghost biology impacted on his human half. This was a good thing in as much as he was able to slip Merlin an extra serve of food once a day, but bad in the endless hours of the night where Camelot was asleep and he couldn't go out because of strictly enforced curfews.

The biggest problem was that he was restless. It had been five days since he had gone ghost, and it was becoming harder and harder not to shift into that form. It was a part of him, and something that Danny could feel was ever more becoming difficult to contain. It had started out unnoticeably enough; occasionally he'd reach for something and not be able to grab it on the first try. But he could feel his control slipping the longer he stayed in his human form.

Fortunately it was not at the point where anyone could notice, although Arthur had made a comment about how quickly Merlin was rubbing off on Danny during one of his training sessions. Danny had managed to brush the comment off, but he was not sure how much longer he could take the strain of containing his ghost half. And although his little slips were innocuous enough for now, Danny wasn't sure how much further other peoples' obliviousness could go.

The problem was that with how busy the castle was, Danny didn't have the opportunity to go out, and even if he did he worried that he'd be caught. He couldn't risk it, not when Merlin was going so far out of his way to protect him. If he had been in Amity Park he could have just slipped out of the house; since Jazz knew his secret and his parents rarely noticed if he was out, he could easily escape to use his powers for an hour or so to rein them in.

Here in Camelot things were very different. First thing was that here his ghost form would be hunted down with as much prejudice as all the hunters in Amity Park combined. In a way it was worse than home because there nearly seventy percent of the population actually supported him. Here, more than the problem of being caught as a ghost, there was the simple fact that there was no free time to speak of. Merlin was technically on call at any hour, as was Gaius. Between the two of them it was unlikely that he could escape for long enough to use his powers without a serious risk of being caught.

Danny was working with Merlin late at night in the armoury when Merlin brought the issue to attention. "That's the fifth time you've dropped that." The raven-haired man noted, pausing as he held his polishing cloth over Arthur's chainmail. Danny frowned, picking up the hauberk – he thought it was called that – once more. It had been nearly three years since he'd had noticeable problems with his tangibility, and he had a feeling that it was only going to get worse.

"I guess I'm just clumsy tonight." Danny dismissed with a shrug. Even if he were going to admit to the issue, there was no way he could talk about what was causing his clumsiness in the armoury which was accessible to both the knights and soldiers even at this time of night.

"Danny." Merlin said, and Danny could feel the intensity of Merlin's gaze, even though his own eyes were firmly on the hauberk. "I promised to help you, and I will. But in order to do that you have to be honest with me."

Danny sighed, glancing over his shoulder to check that no one else was nearby. Given the current state of Camelot, talking casually about anything relating to magic was dangerous, and Danny didn't want to risk exposure here anymore than he did at home. "This is the longest time I've stayed in human form for three years." He admitted in a low whisper. Merlin frowned, staring at him with penetrating blue eyes.

"What exactly does that mean?" Merlin pressed shortly, the chainmail in his hands forgotten.

Danny frowned, looking up to meet the elder man's eyes. "It means that the longer I stay like this, the harder it will be to stay solid." He confessed.

Merlin's eyes widened slightly and the dark-haired man quickly tugged him into a shadowed alcove. "How do you usually control it?"

Danny shrugged. "Usually I don't have to. Usually I need to be... like that... for at least three hours a day, fighting. I have to use my powers regularly; otherwise they build up and well..." Danny involuntarily flickered out of visibility as though for emphasis.

Merlin nodded. "Right. Okay then. Magical creature, not sorcerer, I get it."

"Sorry" Danny said, trying not to bristle at the demotion to 'creature'. He equally wasn't about to point out the fact that Merlin infused his magic subtly into almost every task he did, nor was he about to comment that it was when Merlin deliberately withdrew his magic that he became his most clumsy. Merlin had a constant release of his powers, it was so rich and potent that it had virtually sunk into the walls of the castle, but it was ever present. The distinction was that the small continuous release that Merlin used was subtle, unnoticeable to those around them and probably small enough that even Merlin was not truly aware of it.

But Danny didn't have that luxury. Merlin's magic was interconnected with the world, and flowed in synchronisation with it. But for Danny, it seemed that he needed to release his powers in a different way, and he didn't know of any subtle manifestations of ghost powers; at least, none that wouldn't raise suspicion of sorcery in the citadel.

"It seems like you need training more than I do." Merlin commented, and Danny saw the intelligent gleam in his calculating blue eyes. "Think you can hold out one more day?" Danny nodded, he could make it one more day, it wouldn't be easy, but it was just a matter of concentration. Probably.

"Good." Merlin said, nodding to himself as he drew Danny back out of the alcove. The elder raven-head picked up the chainmail and set about putting it away before doing the same for the hauberk. "In the morning I'll ask if Gaius needs me to gather some more herbs." Merlin commented as he led the way out of the armoury and back towards the physician's tower. "And as my 'ward' I suppose you'll have to come too."

Danny sent a sidelong glance at the raven-haired man, grateful for his acceptance. It had been a long time since he'd felt like this. Sure, Sam and Tuck were encouraging and supportive of him, and they were always happy to train with him, but more often than not it was on their own terms. Sam and Tuck would come out ghost-hunting, but only until their curfew. And Jazz was happy to support him, but spent more of her time analysing him and confirming how large a 'deviation from the norm' he really was. He could always count on them for moral support, but it was never a given that they could always be there for him.

But here was Merlin, a young man who Danny had barely known for a week, willing to go out of his way to help him. It was comforting, unfamiliar, but definitely a pleasant surprise. After all, between his duties to Gaius and his responsibilities for Arthur, Merlin didn't really wasn't obliged to help Danny. But he was... he was actually setting up a viable alibi, in advance, in order to support him. Even if it was only part of keeping his own secret, it was a novel experience for Danny. The halfa couldn't help the grin that crept onto his face as he followed Merlin into the herb-scented physician's chambers. Not for the first time he felt truly lucky to have been able to meet Merlin.

* * *

AN; And the beginnings of a plot emerges. What do you think of Eadric Blæcādlig? Is he believable? Can anyone figure out why I named him so?

Translation;  
Winterbiter Frumsceaft – Bitterly Cold Beginning

Thanks dearly for the kind reviews; when I started, this was just a distraction piece, and I'm thrilled that people have been enjoying it.

'Till next we meet again,

Bluerose


	8. Beorht Līeg

Chapter 7

Beorht Līeg

Disclaimer: I own neither Danny Phantom nor Merlin

Merlin shook his head as he watched the dark-haired boy disappear beyond the tree line, and despite himself he couldn't hold back the unconstrained smile that crept onto his face as he himself entered the leafy growth. There was just so much _life_ in the forest, calling out to him, welcoming him back into the steady thrumming of nature that sang alongside his magic. Instinctively he let his magic spread out, unfettered by the limitations of the citadel.

They had set out late in the afternoon, managing to get through all of Arthur's assigned chores quickly between the two of them. True to predictions Arthur had added significantly more to Merlin's workload during the week, but with the extra set of hands he was able to get everything done a lot faster despite the extra work. So Merlin and Danny had actually been able to leave the citadel early, an empty satchel slung over Danny's shoulders for the herbs that they were supposedly picking at Gaius' request. Fortunately this was a legitimate reason; with Danny's help Gaius had actually been able to bulk up a lot of his preparations, but at the expense of some of his herb stores.

A mischievous glimmer twinkled in Merlin's eyes as he raised a tree root in front of the younger boy's path, fully intending on fooling him into the same prank he'd fallen for six nights before. However it seemed that Danny would not fall for the same trick twice, and instead of tripping over the root, he exaggeratedly walked _through_ the root before turning around grinning back, his eyes glimmering impishly, and Merlin could swear he saw the blue irises flare more brightly. Suddenly he was on the forest floor himself, his feet having come out from under him.

If Danny's huge grin when he helped Merlin up wasn't enough to tell him that Danny had been responsible for the prank, then the small patch of ice that currently occupied the forest floor beneath him would have. The blue eyed boy tugged him up with a firm heave, silent laughter twinkling in his eyes. Merlin sent one more glance over his shoulder to find the ice completely gone, as if it had never been. Even if it was only used for a prank, that was an impressive trick in itself.

Merlin rolled his eyes, but the smile playing on his lips no doubt betrayed him. It had been a long time since he'd used his magic for fun like this, and the free-spirited return was something that he'd never had before. His magic had always been something to keep hidden, something that he could never truly share. While Lancelot had known, and while Gaius did know, it wasn't something that he could share with them easily. Even his exploits with Will in Ealdor, years before, had been more exploring the limits of Merlin's powers and the mischief the two of them could come up with than sharing magic as equals.

So maybe his eyes were brighter than usual as the two of them made their way into a small forest clearing. Danny probably didn't realise it, but he was the first person to find out about Merlin's magic, and not only accept it, but fully embrace and encourage it. And while Merlin's heart still ached for Freya, he was looking forward to sharing magic with another person as equals. It was something he had desperately longed for from the day he'd found out how different he was from other children, and the fact that most other people of magic turned out to be enemies had never given him that chance.

Merlin blinked, ducking his head away from the bright flash of light that suddenly surrounded Danny. It was strange to see the boy change forms at will like this. The first time he had seen the change he's been more interested in the physical differences; Danny's raven hair turned an ethereal white, and his eyes became a shade of glowing green that Merlin couldn't describe. But this time he focused on how the boy's human flesh melted away into something closer to the pure energy that was magic. The energy was cold in the way that the Great Dragon was hot, like a griffin was wild and like the goblin had been mischievous.

The two rings of blue-white light that encircled the boy did far more than just a superficial change; they changed his very nature. And while Merlin knew that this power bled through to his human form, the white-haired boy that stood before him was as much a creature of magic as the dragon was for all that his physical form looked human. The black cloak, having survived the change in forms began to lightly billow around him, caught by a wind that had far more to do with the eddying currents of magic around them than the late summer wind.

Danny smiled at him, a faint hint of relief twinkling in his green eyes. It lasted a moment before he jumped up into the air, surprising Merlin when the younger boy kept going. It shouldn't have surprised him really that the boy could fly, but at the same time Danny looked more corporeal than any of the spirits he had met before did. The boy flittered up into the sky, looking as happy in the air as any bird or even the great Dragon. Merlin shook his head, finding a flat patch of grass to sit on and running through a few spells in his head.

Five minutes later he found himself laying back, idly staring at the stars as they came out and just letting the thrum of natural magic wash through him. Up above the tiny glowing dot that was Danny drifted in lazy circles. Merlin could almost have mistaken him for a firefly or a star, if it weren't for the way he'd occasionally flicker out of sight. Part of him was curious, _'what was it like to fly like that?'_ but the part of him conditioned into hiding magic cringed at the open display. Sure, they were far enough from Camelot that Danny would likely not be noticed, but over twenty years of _'keep the magic hidden'_ were impossible to override.

His eyes still fixed on the sky he saw the glowing white figure pause and suddenly, as though he was a rock falling back to the earth he came hurtling down back towards the clearing. He tumbled through the air, plummeting with the uncontrolled velocity of a mallard hit by a crossbow bolt. Merlin reached out with his magic, ready to catch the boy before he fell to his death, but instead he fell _through_ the earth, disappearing beneath the surface with no sign of his passage.

A minute later he resurfaced, green eyes sparkling mirthfully as he pulled himself out of the ground. "What was that?" Merlin demanded, shocked in his non-comprehension.

Danny blinked, cocking his head curiously before his green eyes widened. "My take on sky-diving." He explained, but that didn't answer anything to Merlin who crossed his arms expectantly. "Um..." Danny continued, uncertain. "When you were a kid, did you ever find a... boulder over a lake and just jump in from the highest point?"

Merlin nodded slowly. Ealdor didn't have a lake, but there had been many summer days where Will would drag him to the river where there was a small waterfall. It wasn't that tall, five feet at the most. But when they were ten that had seemed so much more and they'd jumped off the ledge and into the cool water below. It was one of the few ways he'd had growing up, to actually be a child. Will hadn't found out about his magic until he was thirteen, and after that jumping over the waterfall had turned into making the water jump over them, but he could sort of understand what Danny was saying.

"So to you the ground is like... water." Merlin commented, the paradoxical statement sounding strange in his mouth.

"Not quite." Danny replied, shrugging and sitting down opposite him. "But over the past few years I've developed a taste for free-fall, and well, being able to turn intangible makes it easier." Merlin sighed and rolled his eyes. In a way he could empathise, at seventeen he himself had been a lot more irresponsible with his own magic. New to Camelot, despite the need to keep it a secret, he had been... well reckless was probably the best way to describe it. He had never looked to the consequences, and that had nearly gotten people killed more than once.

However, that didn't mean that Merlin liked denying his magic. Over the years he had learned caution, out of necessity more than anything else, but he still hated the need for such strict secrecy. And perhaps living in Camelot had taught him to be slyer about his use of magic; the grand displays of his youth were impressive, but they were hardly conducive to secrecy. He could only rely on obliviousness for so long before people started asking questions. Elyan had once pointed out that one of the bandits they'd slain had a strange burn on his hand – one that Merlin knew to be from an overheated dagger.

"So..." Danny trailed, shifting back to his human form as he crossed his legs, his blue eyes meeting Merlin's in the growing evening gloom and shaking him out of his reverie. "What's next? Usually when I'm training I'd do a bit of an obstacle course, but I guess what we do now is up to you." Merlin quirked a cheeky smile; Danny had offered to help with his magic as well as his chores, and there was one spell he was itching to try out.

"_Nu bebiede ic þe þæt þu lætest þine fīras bāncofa gelīc __fyrwit__. Wyrþ ācweorna!_" Merlin incanted, feeling his eyes flash as he waved his arm at the boy. Danny blinked, his eyes creased in confusion, and Merlin watched as his skin rippled, a faint shimmer of gold washing over the surface of his body. The spell took hold, and the younger boy's flesh appeared to melt, even as he was swallowed up by a golden mist. After a minute the golden tendrils cleared, leaving a distinctly disgruntled blue eyed squirrel behind. His fur was a dark brown, looking almost black in the early evening light, but the patch of white on his underside was the same shade as fallen snow.

Merlin couldn't help but laugh as the squirrel chattered angrily at him. The squirrel huffed, flicking his fluffy dark tail at Merlin before looking over his shoulder and poking out a little pink tongue. Merlin just grinned at him, proud that the spell had worked first time. It was not an easy piece of magic to work, more difficult in complexity than the ageing spell, and that in itself was a taxing work of magic. Of course it took his magic energy to perform the transformation, but once the individual was transformed it was fed by their own energy until magic turned them back.

"You know," Merlin commented, looking down at him. "Being a squirrel sort of suits you." The dark brown squirrel turned around, glaring at him with a very sarcastic look in his too-intelligent blue eyes. "Okay fine," he conceded. "Maybe it doesn't, but you can't deny that it's a useful disguise."

The squirrel chittered angrily at him again, giving a distinct impression of crossed arms as he sat back on his haunches. As if for emphasis the squirrel turned invisible, before flickering back into sight as if to say _'I don't need a disguise'_. Merlin rolled his eyes, unable to wipe the smug smile off his face. But it was interesting that Danny still seemed to have access to his powers like this. Merlin didn't know the specifics of being a halfa, but on human sorcerers it was supposedly only the most powerful who could use magic in an animal form. Too much of it was used to maintain the spell for it to be directed to other tasks.

Danny shook his head, absently scratching a black tufted ear before cautiously crawling back over towards Merlin. His black nose was twitching, sniffing something in the air as he walked over towards him. Idly Merlin wondered what Will would have thought of this sort of magic, or Arthur. But thinking about Arthur and magic together were still part of that impossible distant 'someday' that Merlin doubted could ever be. But the fact that the spell had worked on his first try was encouraging if nothing else.

The dark squirrel sniffed twice at Merlin's fingertips before investigating the leather herb bag they'd brought out. Eventually they'd need to pick a couple of herbs, just for the sake of pretence, but for the moment it was amusing to watch Danny as a squirrel fumbling with the leather buckle that held the bag closed. It was clear that even in an animal body the boy still retained most of his human intelligence, as per the spell, but at the same time he seemed to know how to work the squirrel's body.

Giving up on the catch the squirrel slipped through the narrow slit at the top, crawling into the bag and clearly rummaging around. A minute later he squirmed out, a sprig of thyme clasped between his pawed fists. Merlin's lips twitched as the squirrel looked expectantly at him. His eyes saying, _'yes, you've had your fun, but now it's time to turn me back'_. Merlin rolled his eyes.

"I could leave you like that." Merlin commented smugly, enjoying drawing out the moment. Somehow the squirrel managed a scowl, setting the thyme aside and jumping off the bag. Two blue-white rings emerged around the squirrel, moving beyond the ends of his small body. Merlin blinked, turning away from the bright light. When it faded a very disgruntled _human _Danny was sitting cross legged in front of him. Merlin couldn't help it; he burst into laughter at the sight.

"Not funny." The boy commented.

"It really was." Merlin replied, unable to contain his smile.

Danny huffed, blowing a loose strand of dark hair out of his eyes. "You're lucky I didn't need you to turn me back."

"I would have eventually." Merlin defended. "What was it like?" He was curious; barely over a year ago Gwen had been turned into a doe by Morgana. Merlin had saved her, healed her and turned her back to human after she'd been hit by a crossbow bolt. But he couldn't ask her what it had felt like to be in that form. It was too closely related to asking about magic, and the event itself had been traumatising enough on his friend. It was really a shame; while Morgana had perverted the spell, it was possible that it could be used in other, useful ways.

"In a word... weird." Danny replied, sucking his teeth. "It was like having another line of instincts running through my mind, a different sort of energy. I have two sets of instincts as it is; having a third introduced is... more distracting than I'm used to."

Merlin cocked his head curiously. "You have two sets of instincts?" He pressed, leaping at the chance to understand better how his new friend managed being half-ghost.

Danny nodded, flopping back on the grass to stare at the sky. "Pretty much. Humans and ghosts aren't really meant to mix, and ghosts work under a completely different set of rules than humans do. But for me... it's hard to explain." He rolled over, so that he was facing Merlin. "You know earlier in the week when Arthur was training with you with the mace?" He led.

Merlin nodded, remembering that training session. It wasn't often nowadays that Arthur pulled him into training, but he had decided to earlier in the week, and Merlin had spent the majority of that hour attempting to duck his mace. Only years of practice had kept him from destroying the weapon with his magic, or at least blocking it.

"You kept ducking, dodging to get out of the way." Danny pointed out. "For me it's similar, dodge the attack, the human reaction, or turn intangible, which is the ghost reaction. Sometimes the instincts work together, sometimes they don't." The boy absently shook his head before pointedly changing the subject. "So... Arthur keeps teasing you about how useless you are at defending yourself, but we both know that's not true. How does the great Merlin actually handle a full frontal magical threat?"

There was a hint of challenge in the boy's voice, and a cheeky glimmer in his eyes. Merlin saw through what he was trying to do, he realised that the boy was just trying to get him to practice his offensive powers. But at the same time... he couldn't help but leap at the opportunity when it was so freely offered. Refining a transmutation spell was fun, but the truth was that he mostly relied on the element of surprise to handle threats. Merlin stood up, feeling his eyes surge to gold as he summoned a surge of magic to his fingertips. Thrusting forward he shouted "_ástríce!_", feeling more than seeing as the rush of magic struck out towards Danny.

Danny grinned, his eyes flashing green as he blocked the spell, catching it in his hand. "You're gonna have to wake up earlier than that Merlin." The boy taunted, an almost rogue smile on his lips. "C'mon, hit me with your best shot."

Merlin grinned, and his eyes flashed gold as he hurled the next spell towards the younger boy, thrilled to finally use his magic the way his friends got to train with their swords. And as the boy's eyes once more flared green, he couldn't help but feel insanely grateful to whatever gods had opened the portal bringing Danny to Camelot.

* * *

Danny laughed as the two of them made their way back towards Camelot. Practicing magic with Merlin had turned out to be more fun than he had expected. It was different, fighting against magic, than what he was used to. Ghosts tended to blast, throwing bolts of raw energy across the sky or manipulating the environment with their powers. Merlin used spells, incantations, to direct the energy. And it was powerful; Danny had been given a huge workout, straining his battle refined powers against the sheer magnitude of Merlin's magical assault.

But the part of him that had been fighting for three years had noted several things about Merlin's technique. Not the least of which was that for all Merlin's power, his attacks were sloppy and unrefined; attacking with force rather than precision. And if Merlin's magic worked anything like Danny's powers, then that was more draining than it needed to be. The second thing was that he got the distinct impression that Merlin didn't need the incantations, they probably helped him focus, but at the same time were a weakness in battle. After ten minutes Danny had realised that the word '_ástríce_' was always followed by a blast of energy similar to an ecto-blast, and '_forbærne_' preceded a ball of fire.

It made the attacks predictable, easily countered. And that was not a good thing if Merlin got in to a real fight. In a way, Danny got the feeling that despite Merlin being the elder of them, Danny had more head on training in this sort of battle. There was no doubt that Merlin was wise, nor about his power. But he just didn't know how to _use_ it. In that regard Merlin was where Danny had been three years before, struggling with too much power and opponents who had had years to refine their talents. Danny didn't know how Merlin compared to other magic users power wise, but that gap had been the deciding factor in a lot of his own battles.

Still, despite those concerns, Danny had had fun. And it was in a completely different way to anything he'd had before. For all Tuck's technological expertise, he couldn't set up a system as responsive as Merlin was. And unlike a genuine ghost fight, there was a layer of... almost teasing challenge in the air as they had exchanged 'magical' blows. Plus, Danny had got the distinct impression that Merlin had enjoyed their workout just as much as he had. So he was happily laughing along as Merlin recounted a couple of tales from the last few years in Camelot, the two of them finally picking the herbs they'd gone out to get.

This expedition had shown him a different side of Merlin. In the castle, the raven-head was... restrained. Not in a clearly observable way, but he was more serious about everything, reserved. Even in teasing the knights he was cautious about it. It was understandable, and probably Danny acted the same around his own family, but it was amusing to see the light hearted Merlin, playing with his magic the same way Danny took to the skies in flight.

That said, despite having fun, he wasn't sure what to think about the whole being-turned-into-a-squirrel business. It had been strange, he had felt the magic take hold, giving him another set of instructions about how to be. In fact, that was how he had turned back; years of changing forms had taught him what to do to morph back to his human form. But it had been distinctly surreal to have a squirrel's mindset running alongside his own. It was easier to deal with than when he'd first become half-ghost, but that was probably an effect of the spell.

But it did make him wonder... the whole time he'd been in that form it had been uncomfortable, his body tingling with an alien warmth that he didn't quite understand. But he also knew that it was possible for ghosts some ghosts to change their form at will. Amorpho had been able to completely shift between various human and animal disguise s, and Bertrand seemed to have no limits to the number of animals he could shift into. Neither of them had that sort of discomfort, so it was _plausible_ that he could teach himself to do that without relying on Merlin's magic. Even Danny could see the use of having that ability. He just didn't want to rely on magic for it. Simply put it was too... hot for Danny to stay in that squirrel form for long using Merlin's magic.

Merlin led the way through the forest, pointing out the herbs and how to distinguish the healthy ones from the poisonous ones. But Danny's mind was still on the subject of magic. "If you could, what do you think turning into animals would be good for?" Danny asked as he plucked a branch off an alder tree.

Merlin shrugged. "I don't exactly know." The dark-haired man replied. "Gaius once told me that before the Purge, it was used in duels, things like that. But I sort of thought... it's often enough that people come into Camelot with plans of their own, but it's not safe to actually follow them."

Danny nodded in understanding. "And you figure that a small animal would be less noticeable than the kings servant."

Merlin nodded. "Yeah, I mean, the nobles don't like mice or cats in their chambers, but they're not likely to suspect an animal to be prying into their secrets."

"That's not a bad idea. Personally I prefer invisibility, but I can see the use." Danny acquiesced.

Merlin paused, grinning at him. "That, and you make a cute squirrel." Danny scowled, tossing a bunch of leaves towards the man. Merlin retaliated with a grin and a flash of golden eyes as a tree branch swatted his shoulder. The two shared a look before they both burst out laughing, Danny nudging the warlock's shoulder as they finished picking herbs and started heading back towards the citadel.

They came through the edge of the forest ten minutes later, still laughing and with leaves stuck in their hair as they headed towards the gate. Merlin was recounting a tale from the year before when apparently Gwaine had arrived at the Imbolc feast drunk and then proceeded to attempt to chat up the two visiting noble women in front of their husbands.

"As I recall, he then turned his attentions to our fair Merlin." Percival's voice added from the gateway as the red cloaked knight stepped into the light. Danny felt Merlin blush beside him, and fought down his own smile. In the last week he'd figured out that Gwaine was audacious, but wouldn't have thought it went that far. "What have you two been doing?" The tall man asked with a raised eyebrow, taking in the state of them.

Danny looked at Merlin, noting that the leaves stuck in his hair showed up more in the flickering torchlight than they had in the forest. "Herbs." Danny replied, sending a cursory glance at the tall knight.

"Leaves." Merlin added in, nudging the bag currently sitting at his hip.

"Trees." Danny continued, fighting back a laugh.

"Squirrel." Merlin concluded, his blue eyes glittering. Danny slapped a hand to his mouth as he tried to contain a snicker, but it was useless. And both of them broke into laughter again.

"Right." Percival commented, looking between the two of them. "If I didn't know any better I'd say Gwaine spiked your water skin."

Merlin schooled his face back into an approximation of calmness. "Sorry Percy, no. No spiked water skins involved."

"You sorta had to be there." Danny tacked on as he steadied his own breathing.

"Okay then." Percival said, very slowly and deliberately. "I think the two of you should probably be going back to Gaius' now." Merlin nodded, thanking Percival as he walked past. Danny was quick to follow, but just as they were rounding the corner Percival called after them "Merlin, you better hope you're not hung over tomorrow. Gwaine was planning on the first one to take Danny out drinking."

Merlin just bit his lip, his eyes still glittering in the moonlight as he led the way back to the tower. Danny was able to hold back his laughter until they got back to Gaius' chambers, but as soon as they were through the door the laughter started again. It wasn't even the jokes about squirrels, it was more the fact that they were young and had just spent the last several hours doing something that was technically very illegal for the benefit of a city that couldn't know what went into keeping them safe.

Danny managed to quieten himself down first, and sent a grateful look at the elder raven-head as he took the herb bag. "Thanks, Merlin." He said sincerely as he wandered over towards the herb stores. He still wasn't entirely certain of what was what and where it all went, but Merlin came over and started putting things away with practiced ease.

"Thank you, Danny." Merlin replied, and there was a deep undercurrent in his blue eyes that Danny couldn't quite fathom. Danny just smiled, running a hand through his hair and pulling out a few of the leaves that had gotten caught in it. They managed to stay calm as they finished putting the herbs away, Merlin giving the bubbling pot Gaius had left behind a tentative stir as they worked. The elder man was down in the lower town for the evening, taking care of a woman in labour, so the two of them were alone for the evening.

"How long have you lived in Camelot?" Danny asked, interrupting the comfortable silence that had grown between them.

"Seven years come next Ostara." Merlin replied as he tied the last herb bundle up to hang. "It's changed a lot since then." The brunette mused quietly.

"What was it like?" Danny asked curiously.

Merlin sighed, moving over to sit in front of the small fireplace where a pot of broth was heating. "Uther was still king then." The elder brunette answered with distant eyes. "Few could say they loved him as a king, but he did deserve some respect. He did a great many horrendous things, and his fear hurt more than just Camelot, but for those without magic he brought stability back to the kingdom. Not peace, he didn't understand peace, but stability." Merlin shook his head. "It would be so easy to hate him, but I can't. For all the horror that he wrought, how much pain he caused... I can only pity him for being so blind."

Danny nodded in understanding. In a way that sounded like Vlad, not the bringing stability part but his blindness. If Vlad hadn't let himself become consumed by his hate, he could have been so much more. And there were times where his offer of guidance were so desperately needed, but the price was simply too high. It wasn't the same, Vlad wasn't a king and his focus was mostly on Danny and his mom, but it was similar.

"What's it like? In your time." Merlin asked, prodding at the embers on the fire with a poker.

"It's different." Danny answered cautiously, unsure of what he could say. But then again... the legends always had Merlin knowing things about the future so maybe that wouldn't be too big an anachronistic change. "The world's a bigger place. The United Kingdom – that's what Albion's called now – is on the other side of the world to where I live. But what you're doing here with Arthur, building a society based on equality and where each person's worth is his own, that reaches out into my time."

Danny paused, frowning musingly as conversations with Sam about politics crossed his mind. "Science is so very different. Technology is so advanced compared to what you have here." Danny creased his eyebrows trying to come up with something Merlin would understand. "Automatic doors. In my time we have a... box that can sense when someone is coming close to it and open the door for them. Just using science, and that's one of the most basic things, so common that we don't really even think about it."

Merlin blinked, looking curiously at Danny as he gave the pot an idle stir. "And that's not magic?"

Danny shook his head, smiling. "No. It's down to science, although a lot of what I grew up with would look like magic to someone from this time. And then there's what you do, or Kilgharrah which just don't exist in my world. Maybe that's why; magic went into hiding and technology developed to make up for the loss."

"I'd like to see it." Merlin replied. "There is so much fear here; it would be nice to see somewhere where things like magic are accepted."

"You'll make it happen." Danny said. "History doesn't remember you as Arthur's manservant."

Merlin sighed, frowning. "Sometimes I wonder. I have this great Destiny, but I've only ever been just Merlin. Everyone expects so much of me, but I just..."

"You don't see it?" Danny prompted. "I understand. People see more in me than I believe is there. In the ghost world half of the ghosts think I'm some huge saviour, the heroic warrior who defeated the dark king."

Merlin cocked a curious eyebrow. "Dark king?" He prompted.

Danny shrugged. "I don't know, years before I was born there was a king in the ghost world who... actually he was a lot like you make Uther sound, only for him everyone was a sorcerer. Eventually he was locked up, sealed away by the ancients and entombed in something called the Sarcophagus of Forever Sleep. But three years ago he was released, and it took all of four hours for half the ghosts to flee. But, he was gonna destroy both worlds, and I couldn't live with myself if I did nothing to stop him."

Danny shook his head, his eyes on the dwindling flames as he added another log. "My parents had been working on... well I guess you could say it was a type of armour, but it enhanced the strength of the wearer a hundred fold. What most people didn't know was that the armour was fuelled by the wearer's energy, I knew that and I knew that no human could survive it, it would take too much. So I took the armour, and used it to fight the king. It was close, really close, but I won. I managed to seal Pariah Dark away again, locked him back in the Sarcophagus with a bit of unexpected help."

Danny sent a rueful smile at the elder brunette, making light of the story. "Since then half the ghosts expect a hero, someone who can save them from anything like I'm some triumphant warrior. But I've only ever been Danny, the clumsy kid of two scientists. So, yeah, I get the whole 'worry about not living up to expectations' thing. But at the same time... it doesn't hurt to have a bit of faith in yourself, sometimes that's just enough to pull you through."

Danny shrugged, standing up to let Merlin think. He moved into small room which the elder raven-head had opened up to him and sat on the pallet that was his bed. He had never liked his own notoriety; he has assumed the identity of Danny Phantom to help people. And while he had at first appreciated having a fan club, it had become unsettling all too quickly. And the discovery of the people in the Far Frozen, who sometimes looked at him like he was a god, was too weird for him. Danny felt in a way sorry for Merlin, understanding what he was feeling himself. But Merlin was... Merlin; his name was synonymous with Arthur and the Round Table as much as Excalibur was.

Danny shifted, moving across the room to look out the window at the town of Camelot. He knew he was lucky, that in this time something as simple as having anything to call a bed was a luxury. And the cloak made of magic and ecto-energy made it even more comfortable than his bed at home. For the moment, home was still a very long way away, and he still had no idea about how to even go about getting back. But at the same time, as he looked out over the flickering lights of the night-lit city, he couldn't help but find some similarities between Camelot and his own time.

* * *

AN; Happy New Year! 12.05AM!

This probably wasn't what you were expecting in the way of magic training, but I had fun all the same.

Translations;  
Beorht Līeg – Bright Flame  
Nu bebiede ic þe þæt þu lætest þine fīras bāncofa gelīc fyrwit. Wyrþ ācweorna! – Now I command you to leave behind your human body similar to curiosity. Intelligent squirrel! (Based on the spell Morgana used to turn Gwen into a deer, but... I made it nicer for Merlin's use)  
Ástríce! – I strike!  
Forbærne – Burn up

Why a squirrel? Partially because that's in the legends, and partially because I wanted Merlin to turn Danny into something completely ridiculous. I was tempted to do a wolf, but if the spell went wrong then... yeah, no. And he turned into a very dark Red Squirrel, since I know the eastern grey was introduced to Europe in the 1400's.

Fare thee well,

Bluerose


	9. Cald Anga

Chapter 8

Cald Anga

Disclaimer: I do not own either Danny Phantom or Merlin

Arthur sighed as he marched through the castle, red cloak billowing out around him in his chainmail. Merlin had asked for the previous evening off, claiming that Gaius needed more herbs. And Arthur had acquiesced; during the coming month it would be important for Gaius's stores to be fully stocked. He had not, however, said that there would be no consequences to Merlin for having made the request.

He opened the doors to the Physician's Chambers, loosely recalling that Gaius was spending the night out in the lower town. Thus he felt no compunctions in striding across the room and throwing open the doors to his manservant's room. The door slammed against the wall, but neither of the occupants stirred aside from a mumbled 'five more minutes, dad' from the younger boy sleeping on a pallet on the floor.

Arthur paused, taking a minute to study Camelot's newest resident. Daniel was young, looking around the same age as Merlin when he first came to Camelot. There was no doubt that there were similarities between the two, and far more than just superficially. Daniel seemed to possess the same incurable clumsiness that Merlin had, as well as a beguiling cheeriness that was almost as infectious as Merlin's. Within the week he had made strong friendships with the knights as well as many of the castle staff. Plus there was that strange extra... something... in his eyes that both Merlin and his new ward seemed to possess.

Yet for all their similarities there were some stark differences between the two. Daniel possessed a fighting skill that Merlin would never be able to manage. Arthur had yet to trial the boy with a sword, but he had showed remarkable adaptability with any weapon the knights put in his hands. And he wasn't just some tavern brawler, in every fight Arthur had seen him in he was carefully calculating, manipulating his opponent and learning both to emulate and counter their attacks. It was interesting to watch, but it did make him wonder about Daniel's past.

Arthur himself had deliberately forestalled challenging the boy himself. He was still taking his own notes of the young raven-head, observing his movements and judging them. The policy of granting a knighthood to anyone who could last a minute against him in a sword fight was still theoretically in place, but Arthur wanted to be sure of the boy's motivations before he afforded that opportunity to him. Given that the boy had managed to outlast _Gwaine_ in combat, there was a strong probability that he could pass the challenge. Thus the only problem was that Arthur was still unable to get an exact read on what the boy actually wanted from being in Camelot.

He shook his head, clearing it of his musings before picking up the small water goblet from Merlin's side table and threw it across the dark-haired man's sleeping face. Merlin coughed, sputtering awake as he jerked up from the bed. Arthur concealed a smile as two drops of water trailed down his chin, a pair of disgruntled blue eyes blinking owlishly at him.

"We're going hunting." He announced, inwardly grinning at the way Merlin sputtered indignantly at his pronouncement. "Wake up your ward and be prepared to leave in half an hour."

"What?" Merlin complained, blinking owlishly towards him. "_Art_hur!" But Arthur was already leaving, smirking as he twirled around and strode out of the room. Behind him he heard a thump and a second groan, and his smirk widened as he heard the younger boy as he was loudly brought awake. As the wooden door swung closed behind him he couldn't help the small laugh that escaped him. If nothing else having the responsibility of a ward might help temper some of Merlin's most negligent habits. Certainly there could be no more full days spent in the tavern if Merlin had to be looking out for the younger boy.

Half an hour later he walked down the steps to the main courtyard, noticing the saddled horses and the smiling faces of Gwaine and Percival as they watched the two dark haired boys finish preparing the horses. Merlin's movements were well practiced, confident. But Daniel had the distinct beleaguered air of someone who'd never been around horses before. As Arthur watched, Gwaine walked over and showed Daniel how to tighten a strap properly.

Arthur coughed, grabbing the attention of the knights and the two dark haired boys. All of them standing to attention as he came down the stairs, Merlin respectfully handed him the reigns as Percival and Gwaine mounted their horses. The two were the only knights free to come out hunting this particular morning, the others all assisting with training the new knights to the garrison. Arthur needed the opportunity to get away from the bustle of the castle.

Arthur swung himself up onto his horse, and from a few steps behind him he heard Merlin copy the movement onto his own mount. He looked over his shoulder, noting that both Percival and Gwaine were smirking at the fifth member of the group. Daniel seemed to be having a staring contest with the pack-horse, the horse stubbornly not going moving, and Daniel tugging on the reigns in an attempt to make the mare move.

"You know," Percival suggested, and Arthur watched as the tall man slid off his own horse and took the reins out of Danny's hands. "Dragging her along won't help. Gently guide her; she'll go along happily so long as she's not forced."

"Thanks." Daniel replied, sending the knight a grateful, if overwhelmed smile.

Percival nodded, handing the reins back over to the boy as the horse started walking. Arthur noted Percival's subtle nod and gently pressed his heels into his own horse's sides, leading their party out of the main courtyard. It was a simple hunting trip, and the horses were mostly brought along to carry the weaponry to the forest's edge. As such it was quite acceptable for one of the party to be leading a horse, rather than riding.

"You haven't worked with horses before, Danny?" Gwaine asked lightly as they made their way across the drawbridge and towards the forest's edge. Arthur listened in keenly, wanting to know more about the younger boy.

"Not really." Daniel replied, and Arthur could hear the shrug in his voice. "Where I'm from, we don't really use horses. I mean... look at people in the lower town, there's not exactly enough room for it to be practical." Arthur frowned, hearing the slightest bit of uncertainty in his voice.

He must not have been the only one to notice because Percival was quick to follow up. "So you come from a large town?"

"Relative to what?" Daniel deflected, but Arthur wasn't sure if his fellow knights would notice it for that. "It's large enough to have more than one commercial area, but not so big that I don't know most of the faces on the street."

"You're being vague." Percival commented. By now they were a little way into the forest, and soon they'd need to tether the horses and try to spot a trail. But Arthur wasn't quite ready to stop the conversation.

"I guess." Daniel replied. "But it's also true that everything is relative. If I was to compare my home town to some of the other cities where I'm from, it's small. Compared to what Merlin's told me of Ealdor, it's huge."

Arthur set that piece of information aside, while it was clear that Daniel was being very deliberate in his vagueness, he had also told them something more. Arthur was sure that given time he could figure out exactly what the boy meant, and thus work out how he'd gotten lost in the first place. However this was not the time for contemplative pursuits, instead he called a halt to their ride as he saw the beginnings of a deer-trail going through the woods. All five of them tethered the horses and Arthur grabbed his crossbow before leading the way through the leafy foliage.

* * *

Danny held back a sneeze as they pushed through the forest. Arthur was leading the hunt, apparently having picked up a trail that only he (or maybe a practiced eye, given the reactions of the other two knights) could see. Danny cringed at the thought; it felt wrong on so many levels to be part of this sort of hunting party. Sure, back home he went ghost hunting every night, but that was a catch and send home sort of thing, rather than a corner and kill thing. And well, having been caught in Skulker's sights one too many times; he empathised with the prey a little too much.

Besides that, there was the fact that Sam would probably kill him herself if she found out that he'd been a part of a hunting party. He knew that it was common practice in this timeframe; that almost the chief source of meat was to go out and hunt for it. But he still couldn't wrap his head around it. Hunting to kill, taking life in that way, he couldn't do it. Probably it was too much modern conditioning; all the fresh meat he'd seen came in pre-packaged cartons in the supermarket. But something about killing an animal for food seemed incongruent.

Merlin seemed to have similar sentiments, given the raucous noise he made as he trampled through the undergrowth. Although... that could simply be down to the fact that Merlin was currently overloaded with an extra crossbow and two spare spears. Danny himself wasn't faring much better. Apparently the knights didn't usually have a second servant accompanying them, and so Danny had been roped into carrying two extra crossbows and enough bolts for all of them.

"Do you have any idea what he's looking for?" Danny murmured, stepping beside Merlin and taking one of the spears out of his hands. Danny didn't mind carrying it, not when Merlin looked like he was about to impale himself on the pointy end.

Merlin stared at the trail after Arthur for a moment, surveying it carefully before turning back to Danny. His face was deadly serious as he answered "Not a clue" but the blue eyed man couldn't hold back his smile. Danny bit his own lip to try and contain a snicker, but apparently Arthur had heard them if the disgruntled call to silence was anything to go by.

Danny shook his head and closed his mouth. Much as he didn't want to be there, he didn't want to antagonise the young king either. Arthur had been kind to him, given the circumstances, and Danny didn't particularly want to abuse his good will. Plus, he somehow got the feeling that something _big_ had to happen before he could go home. He didn't know what that was, but he knew that hassling the king was not a good way to go about things.

So Danny gritted his teeth as he followed their party through the forest. This sort of hunting was both similar and different to what he was used to; similar because the knights were looking for specific markers in the undergrowth that would lead them to their prey, and different in the end game and the methodology. When Danny went 'hunting', he was following a distinct ectoplasmic trail, looking for hints in that spectrum as to the location of the ghost.

Not to say that he didn't understand the theory behind what the knights were doing. Countless run-ins with Skulker had taught him to tread very lightly and leave no visible trail of where he walked. Knowing that someone considered you _prey_ would do that to you. So he sort of got what they were looking for; track marks, broken branches, given that the quarry was mammalian probably even droppings. But he didn't know exactly what to look for, and wasn't particularly inclined to even if he did.

An hour passed and the sun had well and truly risen. Beams of yellow light flickered through the leafy canopy, leaving the forest floor bathed in dappled green light. It was pleasant, even if the knights ahead had yet to catch anything. It seemed like they were following something large, given the whispered conversation that passed between the professional hunters, but Danny was happy enough following Merlin's lead. The man was telling him – albeit in muted whispers – about some of the different plants they passed, which Danny had to concede seemed a much more fruitful endeavour.

They took a short break around lunchtime, eating the bread and cheese that Merlin had had the foresight to bring along. Danny decided to forgo his share, subtly handing it back to Merlin. Neither of them had eaten that morning, but Danny now knew that he could last a lot longer than Merlin without something to eat. Arthur seemed a bit flustered by his non-success, and Percival and Gwaine both appeared to take it in stride. Danny just watched, curious to see what these men, men who would be legends, were like when they were just relaxing.

Half an hour later they set off again, Gwaine having picked up a clearer trail when he accidentally prodded a beehive with his boot. This part of the forest was thicker, and the bushes clustered together in dense bramble-patches, leaving only narrow trails that animals could wind through. Arthur was in the lead, and he paused to highlight a knot of soft brown fur that had been caught on a snarled branch.

Arthur gestured them on, grabbing an extra few crossbow bolts before he headed further into the forest. They seemed to be getting closer, if the freshness of the trail was any indication. But Danny felt something prickling on the edges of his awareness. The forest was quiet; not that that was all that unfamiliar to him, after all, most animals were at best wary of being so close to him thanks to his ghost genes. But this was a deeper sort of silence than even he usually inspired.

They pressed on for several minutes more, but the further they went into the snarled undergrowth, the more the hairs on the back of Danny's neck lifted. The silence was deepening, the only noise coming from their own group as they made their way through the thicket. It was clear that something had passed this way, but the eerie silence made Danny worry. The path they were on was the only way through the thickly knotted brambles, and to Danny it felt almost claustrophobic to have no human way out other than back the way they had come.

Suddenly up ahead Arthur tripped, and all five of them came pouring out into a small clearing. Leaf litter was thick on the ground, except for a slight indentation scraping away up and over the crest of the encircling embankment. Danny blinked, listening out for anything, and on the edge of his hearing he heard it. A scuttling sort of noise, like an insects legs was coming closer. But it was bigger and heavier than any insect Danny had heard before. He frowned, while it was clear enough to him, the noise was far too quiet for any human to pick up on.

"Arthur." He heard Merlin whisper warily to his master, an edge of fear in his voice.

"Quiet Merlin." Arthur commanded in a harsh whisper, silencing the man.

"Is it just me," Gwaine murmured quietly, looking around the embankment cautiously. "Or does this feel like an ambush?"

The scuttling noise was getting closer, and Danny's eyes widened as he saw the creature coming over the ridge closest to Percival. Suddenly things were happening very quickly, and with a tremendous cry an enormous stinger lashed out towards the tall knight.

"Percival, duck!" Danny exclaimed, shoving the knight out of the way as a dust of leaves leapt into the air where he'd just been. He felt a sharp sting lash across his arm, but his attention was drawn to the eight enormous _scorpions_ that were encircling the entire clearing.

* * *

Percival grunted as he pulled himself off the forest floor. He would have yelled at the kid for attacking him, if he hadn't noticed the dark brown tail pulling away from where he'd just been standing. "Thanks." He murmured as the boy tugged him back up, but it was barely a second later when the two of them had to jump apart as the stinger came back for a second blow. Percival kicked aside the crossbow, useless now from the fall, and drew his sword, turning to face one of the gigantean creatures that were attacking.

"What are these things?!" The boy gasped as he dodged across the clearing.

"Serkets." He heard Merlin reply, but Percival found himself having to dodge as another stinger lashed out beside him. His sword flashed in his hands, feeling feeble against the massive creatures that had surrounded their group.

Sure he'd come across serkets before, but never in a group this large, and never this big. The last time he'd faced the beasts it'd been him and Lancelot across three who were no longer than three feet long. And he'd never been cut off like this before. If anything, this felt like a trap, the singular path in and out already cut off by an enormous hissing beast.

Blood pounded in his ears as he swung his sword, forcing his opponent back. The beast reared, spindly legs whirling menacingly in the air as its two pincers snapped towards him. He took the brief opening, plunging his sword into the beast's soft underbelly and withdrawing as a pool of dark blue blood pooled out.

Behind him he heard a shriek, followed by a sharp splintering noise, and suddenly a heavy tree branch crushed one of the serkets as it came crashing down. It was fortuitous as all the remaining beasts backed off for the barest moment, giving Percival the chance to breathe. There were four left now, the one he killed, one crushed by the branch, and two lying in oozing heaps beside Gwaine and Arthur respectively.

Percival realised he couldn't see either Merlin or Danny, and swung around quickly searching for a sign of either, but was distracted by towering screech beside him. His eyes widened as he saw the serket's tail lash out towards him, but his sword wouldn't move fast enough to stop it. His heart stopped, and there was a rush of air, and suddenly the body of the serket was flailing, it's tail pressed deep into the earth by a pale hand.

He blinked, and his heart started again. And Percival saw that it was Danny who had somehow managed to _catch_ the beast by the tail before shoving it downwards. As he watched the boy elbowed the creature sharply in the head with his free arm, and the flailing body fell limp. The boy stood up, releasing a quick breath before glancing towards Percival. There was a beat, and then both of them turned to face the next serket.

Predictably the creature lashed forward with its tail, the sharp barb flying through the air like a whip. But this time Percival was able to watch as he saw the boy move around the attack, and once more clasp a hand firmly around the tail just before the sting. But this time instead of driving the tail into the earth the dark haired boy sprung up; somehow managing to lever the creature so that its weak underside was left pointing upwards. Percival took the hint and drove his sword into the beast's belly and pulling back quickly as once more thick blue blood spurted out at him.

He turned around to survey the rest of the clearing, watching amusedly as Gwaine pulled his sword out from the last serket's head and pick up a severed stinger. "Think this'll impress anyone back in Camelot?" The brunette asked, flashing a grin at them as the adrenalin of the fight flushed out of them. Percival just smiled and shook his head briefly turning his attention back to the younger boy.

Percival wasn't the smartest man out there, and he was the first to acknowledge that. He knew strength and he knew weakness, he knew what it meant to simply defend and he knew what it meant to protect what was right. He was often more quiet than his fellow knights, more reserved. He had been since he had watched King Cenred's men kill his entire village in front of him. But he often observed.

Danny was a strange boy, clumsy and controlled in equal measures. That first day when he'd fought against him, Percival had been quietly shocked. For all that Danny was slight and gangly; he packed a lot of strength into his muscles. But more than that, he'd known exactly how to use an opponent's weight against him. He'd seen it more than once during the week, Gwaine having decided along with the rest of them to give Danny a run at squire-come-servant. Danny hadn't expressed any inclination to become a knight, but Percival could see that the boy had fighting skill enough to be worth consideration.

But the fight just now had shown something more. It was a silent agreement whenever they went out that the servant with them – namely Merlin – would duck to safety and let the knights fight. But Danny hadn't followed that rule. Instead he'd fought right along with them, despite not having a blade to hand. Looking at the forest floor he saw the broken remnants of their crossbows, so clearly even the weapons he had been carrying had been rendered useless.

Danny had fought against those creatures bare handed, without even a sword for protection and seemed to have come out alright, if a bit shaken. But what really got to Percival wasn't the way he'd flipped over the second serket to let him have a go at it, nor was it the way Danny had somehow managed to catch two lashing stingers mid-strike. It was the impossible strength he'd shown in elbowing the serket, rendering the creature unconscious. He shouldn't have been able to manage it, not from that angle. But he had, and for the slightest moment Percival could have sworn that the way the light caught in his eyes made them flash bright green.

"I think the serkets got the deer before we did." Merlin commented, popping up from behind a tree and breaking Percival out of his musings.

Arthur scowled, cuffing Merlin on the head before declaring that they should head back. "Pity they didn't get to you." He commented, "We might have actually caught something without dragging your sorry behind along."

"I'm sorry, _sire_, but you were the one who decided to drag 'my sorry behind' along with you." Merlin retorted in his usual snarky way, and as usual even Arthur was biting back a smile at their usual bickering. Across the clearing Gwaine was still playing with the serket's sting, moving it through the air as though it was a claw.

"Put that away, Gwaine." Arthur barked before ordering their return to Camelot. The five of them set off, Merlin idly picking through the destroyed crossbows, but none of them were salvageable. And it appeared that only one spear had endured the ambush. It was quickly picked up and handed to Danny, who according to Arthur was less likely to impale himself on the thing on the way back.

The blonde king led the way back out of the briar patch, but with no weapons left there was little purpose in the absolute silence necessary for hunting. So Gwaine apparently felt quite content to start prattling on, and Merlin got into a bickering match about the pointlessness of hunting if every time they ended up being ambushed or attacked by magical creatures.

"Thanks for the save back there." Danny said as he sidled up beside him. They'd cleared the briar patch and could now walk three abreast if they wanted.

"It was nothing." Percival replied, feeling distinctly like it was the younger boy who had done the saving. He took a moment to look at the boy, like all of them he was a bit dishevelled from the fight, but the most noticeable thing was a long gash in the right sleeve of his shirt. Percival couldn't think of anytime when the boy could have been hit, well, other than the initial serket strike when Danny had knocked him safely out of the way. But that couldn't have been it; if he'd been stung then Danny would barely be able to walk by now. Serket venom was almost always fatal, and Danny would already be dizzy if not completely unconscious if he'd been stung.

"Your arm alright?" Percival asked, reaching out to touch the injured limb.

Danny pulled it back, and Percival saw an almost indistinguishable pained flinch in the movement, but it was gone in an instant. "Yeah." The boy replied. "One of the crossbow bolts must've slit the shirt when those things attacked. I'm fine."

Percival nodded, accepting the response. Danny had been fighting after all, and he definitely wasn't a seasoned knight. While the boy may be a talented fighter, it was a different skill to continue fighting after being wounded, and Percival honestly doubted that was a skill a boy that young could possibly have. Still, there was something about the boy, and Percival wasn't entirely sure what that meant.

The five of them eventually found their way back to the horses, and Percival was surprised with just how far out they'd gotten. It took them the better part of two hours to find the clearing where they had tethered the horses, and another half hour to get back to the drawbridge. By the time they reached the citadel the sun was just setting, and unfortunately they returned with nothing but a serket's stinger to show for their hunt. However, looking at the relaxed look on the king's face Percival realised that the exercise has been more to get out of the castle than a genuine need for fresh meat.

"So..." Gwaine said, easily dismounting from his horse as they entered the main courtyard. "We clean up and then meet in the tavern in half an hour?"

"You two can go," Arthur said, sliding off his own horse with equal grace. "Merlin and Danny here have a few chores to attend to."

"Oh, come on princess." The roguish knight beseeched, slinging a careless arm across the younger boy's shoulders. "Danny here has just survived his first battle with a nasty magical critter; surely you won't deprive him of the opportunity to regale the lovely maids at the tavern with the tale."

Arthur scowled lightly, but relented. "A couple of hours." The king acquiesced. "But if either Merlin or Daniel shows up so one minute late tomorrow it's on your own head."

"I'm doomed!" Gwaine exclaimed dramatically, but Percival saw the smile on Gwaine's face as they watched Arthur proceed up the staircase and into the castle. The brown eyed knight turned to face the three of them. "So... half an hour then?" He asked with a bright grin on his face. And Percival couldn't escape the feeling that he'd walked deep into something as his fellow knight all but dragged him back to their quarters to clean up.

Percival shook his head as he set aside the red cloak and changed into a slightly more casual shirt, slipping his lighter chainmail vest over the top. All week Gwaine had been talking about getting both dark haired young men into the tavern. Percival had been quite serious the night before when he said Gwaine would be disappointed if he found out Merlin was the first one to get young Danny drunk. Percival couldn't help a small shudder; Gwaine was going to be insufferable. Now he'd succeeded in convincing Arthur to allow not just Danny, but also Merlin a night off from servant's duties.

* * *

AN; Yep, they're going to the tavern. And Danny got hit by a serket and nobody knows. :P

Just a bit of fun, since I've been finding it really hard to write since I watched the Merlin Finale :(

Translations;  
Cald Anga– Cold Sting

Adieu,

Bluerose


	10. Beðian Winescipas

Chapter 9

Beðian Winescipas

Disclaimer: I do not own either Danny Phantom or Merlin

"So what do you think of our young Danny?" Elyan heard Gwaine ask as the roguish knight took a deep drink from his tankard. As soon as Gwaine and Percival had returned from their hunt, Gwaine had immediately said they were heading out to the tavern. Elyan and Leon had been only too happy to accompany them; with the preparations for the visiting kingdoms entering their final stages, the citadel was becoming very overcrowded with people cleaning and preparing.

"He's a tough little bugger." Percival commented, quietly sipping from his own cup. "He actually managed to knock one of the serkets unconscious when he elbowed it."

"I didn't see that." Gwaine replied, an almost disgruntled twinge in his voice. "What was he doing when you stabbed the last one?"

Elyan watched as Percival shook his head confusedly. "He flipped it over so I could get at it. Fast reflexes that one has."

Elyan sighed, looking into his mug of ale. He'd been making his own observations during the week, and what he heard in passing now only seemed to confirm it. Danny was a brave and talented fighter, if it weren't for the fact he seemed to have imprinted on Merlin there was no doubt that any of them would take him on as a proper squire. But no matter what, every time Elyan looked out of the corner of his eye something stopped him.

"He reminds me of the druid boy." Elyan murmured, more into his mug than anything else, but Leon caught him.

"Pardon?" The red haired knight asked, his head cocked slightly sideways in curiosity.

Elyan briefly met the elder knight eyes before looking away. It was one of the things that still haunted him, nearly a year after the fact. It was one of the few horrors he'd faced alone, and one that his fellow knights had never truly understood. They hadn't seen what he'd seen or heard what he'd heard that day.

"He reminds me of the boy from the druid shrine." Elyan mumbled, staring into the pale liquid of his mug.

"How?" Gwaine asked sceptically, raising an eyebrow in his direction.

Elyan shrugged, unsure of how to explain. It wasn't how the boy looked, Danny was a lot older than the child had been, and they didn't look anything alike. Physically Danny looked a lot like Merlin, and Elyan had mistaken them for each other from a distance more than once. And Danny was a warrior, more so than the dead druid boy had been. But... maybe it was something in the eyes. The drowned child had had a strange power in his dead eyes, and sometimes Elyan could almost see that same look shining through in Danny's eyes.

"Don't know." Elyan replied dismissively. It was something unsettling, but he knew none of the others saw it. He didn't even know what it was, just that somehow Danny managed to remind him of the spirit.

"He reminds me of Merlin." Leon commented, gratefully taking the attention away from Elyan. "When he first came to Camelot."

Percival made a questioning noise. "Merlin was a lot more... outspoken then." The eldest knight replied, his words careful despite the two tankards that Elyan had already seen him consume. "He was brave, but foolhardy and more careless than he is today."

"And yet we love him all the same," Gwaine added. "Even after you lot got to him."

"Got to who?" Merlin's voice asked, coming through the tavern door. Elyan looked up, seeing the two dark haired boys coming through the worn wooden door and coming up to their table. Side by side they could easily pass as brothers, having the same gangly build and blue eyes. But Elyan still couldn't escape the feeling that there was something in the younger boy's eyes that was just that bit different to Merlin's lively blue ones.

"Merlin!" Gwaine called out cheerfully, managing to attract the attention of the whole tavern as he pulled the two across the room and plonked them at the table. Merlin ended up next to Leon and Elyan, but Danny somehow ended up wedged between Percival and Gwaine on the other side of the table. Barely a minute later there were two extra mugs at the table and a fresh flagon of ale had refilled their empty ones.

"Now that you're here, we can inform these two unlucky sods exactly what they missed out on today." The roguish knight declared, cheerfully slinging an arm around Danny's shoulders. Elyan just watched, he had never been one for being the centre of attention, preferring to just sit and observe.

Gwaine cheerfully launched into a retelling of their entire hunting trip, although Elyan suspected that he was embellishing on it a lot, especially when he started going on about the ten foot tall serket that he defeated bare handed. Merlin snickered into his ale as Gwaine finished up, a proud, almost challenging look on his face.

"As I recall," Merlin piped up, "The only one tackling those things without any weapons was Danny."

"Yeah, well," Gwaine said, not at all dissuaded by Merlin's biting remark. "I still got the stinger."

"Which you've been flashing around since you got back." Leon added dryly.

Elyan shook his head as he took a sip of ale, idly noting that his cup was nearly empty. "I think you scared the younger knights half out of their minds when you showed up in the armoury."

"Bunch of no good prissy nobles if they can't even handle seeing a disembodied serket sting." Gwaine complained loudly and sending a half mocking toast towards Leon – the only born noble in their circle.

"I fail to see how jumping out of the shadows and growling like one of the beasts serves as an accurate judgement of character." Leon commented, raising an eyebrow in Gwaine's direction.

"That's where you are wrong, my dear Leon." Gwaine retorted, a teasing smirk playing onto his lips. "See our greenie knights got scared off by little old me, when our Danny here actually managed to fend two off by himself." The knight took the opportunity to ruffle the younger boy's hair before surreptitiously refilling his cup.

"Have to agree with Gwaine on that one." Percival added on. "In the middle of the armoury with free access to any number of weapons and they were intimidated by _Gwaine_."

"With a serket sting." Elyan tacked on. "Remember, most of them ended up having to hide in the Darkling Woods six months ago."

"But everyone knows Gwaine." Merlin chipped in, blue eyes sparkling with humour and a touch of inebriation. "You lot aren't keeping them up to scratch if they're running scared from Gwaine and his new toy."

"Says the one who was hiding behind a tree. Again." Percival pointed out dryly.

"It was a good tree." Danny defended in Merlin's stead. "There's nothing wrong with that sort of tactical retreat." Elyan glanced curiously at the boy, taking a moment to look at him. His blue eyes were bright, but had a dull edge that seemed to have little to do with the third cup of mead he'd just consumed. He was only using his left arm, and Elyan idly noted a sort of damp patch on the top of his right sleeve, but Gwaine was being careless and there was a reason people tended to stay at least two feet away from Gwaine when he went to the tavern. Not everyone liked going home soaked in mead and ale and whatever else the man was splashing around.

Still, the boy was cheery enough, and even laughed along at Merlin's dismissive "I'll leave the fighting to the blokes with pointy stabby things, thanks." And soon enough the topic moved away from their repurposed hunting trip and onto other bawdier topics that managed to make both Merlin and the younger boy blush a bright shade of red. The tavern maid soon came around to deliver another flagon of ale, and Elyan really hoped the plan was to share the bill at the end of the evening.

It was relaxing though, to take a couple of hours away from the bustle of the castle to wind down. Gwaine seemed to be trying his hardest to get both Merlin and Danny drunk, Merlin probably because of the rarity of his visits to the tavern, and Danny because he was Gwaine's latest mystery. Elyan had never really understood Gwaine's preferred method of interrogation or of relaxation for that matter. His own preference was to sit in front of a forge and discuss things with an 'assistant' if necessary.

Still, by the time the candles had burned low in their holders he could feel a pleasant warmth on his cheeks. Leon had dismissed himself not too long before, anticipating that he would need to be up early in the morning. Elyan and Percival had gotten into a discussion about the advantages and disadvantages of sleeves on chainmail; Percy was still stubbornly refusing to let him _finish_ his 'mail. And Gwaine seemed to have silently challenged the younger boy into some kind of drinking match, neither of them showing any signs of needing to slow down.

It was when the owner of the Rising Sun gave a courtesy call saying that he was closing up for the evening that Merlin decided it was time to take the boy home. Danny got up with a visible sway, to which Gwaine hollered in victory. But Elyan's gaze was fixed on the boy's still sharp eyes. He wasn't drunk, but his eyes had taken on that strange edge again that managed to send a shiver down Elyan's spine. Merlin and Danny sent a cheerful wave goodbye, Merlin contributing a few coins as their share for the evening before leading the younger dark haired boy out the door.

He sat blinking at the door for a minute before realising that they were gone, and maybe the ale had muddied his thinking more than he'd thought. Still, Gwaine insisted on finishing the last cup, and all three of them ended up taking their own slow and cheery way back up to the castle. With the pleasant buzzing in his head Elyan even found himself forgetting the strange sort of power in Danny's eyes and instead settled back to listen to Gwaine's cheery retelling of one of his stranger adventures, something to do with a frog and a hedgehog and a pretty maid beside a pond. Despite it all Elyan had actually enjoyed the evening, so maybe spending a bit of time down in the tavern hadn't been such a bad idea after all.

* * *

Merlin frowned as he led the way towards the physician's chambers. Beside him Danny was silent, his face carefully blank, and Merlin hadn't been able to get the boy to say what was wrong. The hours spent at the tavern had been pleasant enough, and Gwaine had of course been overly enthusiastic about keeping everyone's cups filled. Merlin himself was already sporting the sort of light headedness that meant he'd have a serious headache in the morning. He was still able to think, but he didn't like how much his coordination had been affected.

What he could tell was that something was interfering with the boy's powers. And it didn't seem to be due to the alcohol he'd just consumed. The boy had been almost impervious to the effects of the ale, despite Gwaine's ever-so-surreptitious way of filling it three times for every drink Merlin had had. What he could feel was the way the cold magic fluctuated wildly around the boy, shrinking in and then flaring back out. They were both lucky that it hadn't had any noticeable effects, at least not yet. But Merlin didn't want to guess how long that could possibly last.

Subtly he picked up the pace, speeding up as he got closer to the safety of his home. Danny matched his pace silently, but a glance over his shoulder let Merlin see the slight sway in his walk. Merlin pushed open the heavy door, quickly noting that while Gaius was there, he didn't have a patient. Without a second thought he tugged the younger boy through the door and slammed it behind them.

"Okay, talk." Merlin said bluntly. Usually he'd try a less direct approach, but in this case his head was pounding too much for him to dance around the subject. His eyes slid over the boy, surveying him carefully. His eyes narrowed as they fixed on a slight damp patch on the boy's right sleeve, noting now the dark stain against the red fabric. His eyes softened. "What happened?"

Danny shrugged, but Merlin caught the flinch the movement caused. "The serket, back in the clearing... it would've hit Percival the first time it struck." Danny replied slowly. "I sort of... pushed him out of the way."

"Serkets?" Gaius gasped, dropping the book he was reading despite the late hour of the night. Gaius must have decided to stay up for them, or perhaps he'd just lost track of the time in the thick volume he was reading. "Merlin, was anyone hurt?"

Merlin shook his head. "No casualties. At least none we knew of." Merlin took another look at the boy, frowning. None of them had been hurt, somehow the knights always managed to escape with surface wounds at worst. But there was a sheen of sweat on Danny's forehead, and his pupils were slightly too dilated for the light they were in. But that wasn't possible; if Danny had been stung he should be long unconscious by now. But the dazedness of the younger boy's gaze was too severe for any surface wound.

"Danny, take off your shirt." Merlin commanded, tugging the boy over to the examination bed despite his protestations. It was only years in Arthur's service that actually allowed him to force the boy down long enough to wrestle the shirt off. For all that the boy had some of Merlin's reserved characteristics; it seemed he could be as much of a hard-headed dollop-head as any of the knights. But when the red cloth was pulled away Merlin withdrew in shock.

"Gaius." Merlin gasped, calling his mentor over. Merlin stepped back, but the sight on the boy's arm didn't fade from sight. His bicep had been slashed three inches across, but the flesh at the edge of the cut looked like it had been burned by some type of acid. The inflamed ring around it was blackened, and green tinged tendrils stretched out away from the laceration. Merlin knew what a serket sting was supposed to look like, but even in the final stages, right before death came, it didn't look like _that_.

Gaius prodded the wound, eliciting a sharp pained breath from the boy. Merlin saw the questioning glance Gaius sent at him before the silver haired man looked back to Danny. "I need you to tell me exactly what happened." Gaius ordered, leaving no room for questioning. Danny sent a fleeting look at Merlin before his eyes went back to look at Gaius.

"When the first serket attacked, Percival was about to be hit. I pushed him out of the way, but I guess the sting grazed my arm." The boy blinked musingly. "It looks worse than I thought it would."

Merlin watched as Gaius blinked. Twice. "You do realise that the only known cure for a serket's sting is magic. You should be dead."

Danny made a strange movement, halfway between a nod and a shake of his head. "Right. But that's for humans, yeah."

"I've been stung by serkets before, and the only thing that saved me was Kilgharrah's magic." Merlin replied, worried at the boy's blasé attitude.

"Yeah, but..." Danny paused, a slight frown on his face. "I'm already dead, in the most technical form of the word. And it's pretty hard to destroy a full ghost."

"You think you have some resistance to the venom by virtue of being half ghost?" Gaius surmised. And Danny nodded.

"It stings, and I'm well aware that I've been hit." Danny replied. "But I've survived worse, and even if this is a different sort of pain than I'm used to I can manage." Gaius looked at him sceptically and Danny sent Merlin a pained look.

"Seriously." The boy repeated. "This isn't much worse than when Skulker tries out a new ecto-bazooka. It'll probably be gone by the morning."

Merlin sighed, shaking his head tiredly as he looked down at the boy. While the references he was making didn't really make sense to him, he could see that the boy was going to be stubborn about it anyway. He shouldn't have taken him out to the tavern; they should have just come straight home. Now, Merlin didn't know how much damage the serket sting could have done with how long the venom had been in the boy's system. And if Danny was anything like the knights, Merlin realised that all he could do was keep an eye on him and make sure it didn't get any worse.

"I shouldn't have taken you out tonight." Merlin commented, looking tiredly across at his mentor.

"I'll put some honey on it." Gaius commented, ambling over to his workbench and giving Merlin and Danny some space.

"Why didn't you tell me you'd been hurt?" Merlin asked, trying hard to keep the disappointment out of his voice.

Danny shrugged, looking up at him with weary blue eyes. "I'm used to having to hide it." He replied. "Back home... I can't really talk to mom and dad about getting treatment, they don't know. It's not like I can explain how a broken arm magically fixes itself overnight. And it's just easier to pretend I'm okay otherwise so my friends don't worry."

"That's stupid." Merlin commented, sending him a scathing look as he took a bowl of water off his mentor. Gaius was back with supplies to help clean the wound, and was already washing the injury out with a swath of clean cloth and water.

"You've probably done the same thing." The boy retorted, sending Merlin a knowing glance. "How do you explain an injury when the only possible source is magic, especially when you've built an image of being the clumsy weakling?" The boy rolled his eyes. "Besides, there's no point worrying them when there's nothing they can do."

Merlin was about to retort when Gaius interrupted them. "I've done what I can, but I don't like the looks of the green in the wound, I've never seen anything like it."

Danny frowned, looking down at the injury at the same time as Merlin. Now that the area was clean of sticky red it looked a lot worse. Some of the flesh had turned a rotten shade of black, but the green tendrils were highlighted even more on the boy's pale skin. Danny however seemed to be seeing something different, shaking his head dismissively.

"I think it'll be alright." He commented. "My ghost side is taking care of it. It looks sort of like the time I got bitten by a hydra ghost, and that healed up okay."

"I'll be checking on it in the morning." Gaius commented. "Even if you believe it's alright to run around untreated in your home, I won't abide that sort of thing here. You are currently living with the court physician and if nothing else it reflects poorly on me if one of my charges is running around sick."

Danny nodded, appearing suitably chastised. And Merlin briefly wondered if this was the first time an adult had taken responsibility for him like this. From the sounds of it, the only people who knew his secret were close to Danny's own age, and wouldn't be able to fill the role of a parental caregiver the way Gaius had for him. Merlin felt a sudden wave of gratefulness for his mentor, he hadn't realised just how much he relied on Gaius's support until he imagined trying to live without it.

Silence settled around them as Gaius finished cleaning off the sting, bandaging it tightly in clean cloth before sending the two of them to bed. Merlin found himself yawning as he ascended the stairs, the pleasant buzz from their time at the tavern having faded into a definite headache. He shook his head, sending a careless look towards the younger boy as he slipped into his nightshirt. The dark haired boy looked weary, and even in the darkness Merlin could see circles under his eyes. Whatever confidence the boy was able to force out, just looking at him told a different story.

Despite his reassurances, it was clear that the boy was in pain, and Merlin could still feel the way the boy's icy magic flared in response. But no doubt the boy would continue being stubborn about it, refusing to rest until he was sure that everything else was alright. Merlin shook his eyes, crashing down into his own pillow. "_Onslæp nu_" he mumbled tiredly, sending the boy to sleep instantly as he caught the boy between magical flares. He didn't feel guilty about it, he himself was too tired to care, and if Danny wanted to be as stupidly stubborn as the dollop-heads, then Merlin didn't mind occasionally treating him like one.

Merlin yawned and rolled over, pulling the blanket over his head as he drew into his pillow, finally letting the calming arms of sleep embrace him after a long and busy day. His eyes fluttered closed lethargically, weighted by both exhaustion from 'hunting' and the dizzying after-effects of the alcohol. Yet despite the taxing nature of the day he settled in to sleep with a soft smile on his face. After all, it wasn't often that Arthur even let him have an evening off.

* * *

Gwen smiled as she walked through the bustling streets of the lower town, waving to some of the citizens as they went about their morning jobs. It had barely been six months since she had married Arthur, and even still she found solace in wandering through the lower town. The people there were _her_ people, hard working and living in a world far away from the demands and trials of court life. Gwen knew that she was managing, but she still sometimes felt a bit out of place when she was dealing with the council or talking with the Ladies of the castle.

Plus there was a sort of charming simplicity in the lower town, something that none of the nobles ever really saw when they kept the people at arm's length. Gwen didn't want to be one of them, and thoroughly enjoyed whatever time she got to spend with all of Camelot's citizens. Gwen smiled as she made her way past a small market stall and saw a couple of children playing on the street. The two young boys were pretending to be knights, each playing with wooden sticks as though they were real swords.

Her smile widened as she walked past the bakers and she purchased a couple of bread rolls which quickly joined the fresh flowers in her basket. The children's game had moved further down the street, and now featured the fearless King Arthur facing the Great Dragon. As the 'monster' was defeated she walked up to the two young boys, handing each of them a bread roll each and earning an appreciative smile from their watching mothers.

Gwen loved the people, having lived with them for all her life. And her love for Arthur would never make her forget her roots. Even now life in the lower town was becoming fairer for the people who lived there as she and Arthur both fought to make Camelot a just place for all its citizens. Shaking her head she walked onwards, heading back towards the citadel so that she could get changed. The first delegation was scheduled to arrive in the afternoon, and Gwen was well aware of the need to present a united front to their guests.

As she was nearing the gates she heard a note of mocking laughter and the telltale spattering of fruit that indicated someone's sojourn to the stocks. Biting her lip as curiosity got the better of her; Gwen altered her path towards the source of the noise. She blinked, twice, a strange sense of familiarity as her mind turned back to a similar image nearly seven years before.

In the stocks was a young boy, raven hair damp with tomato splatter and soggy lettuce juice. His wrists were bound in iron shackles, even as his arms and neck were locked in place by the heavy wood frame of the stocks. But he was laughing, a childish smile lighting sparkling blue eyes as the boy was pelted with rotting fruit. It looked so familiar to her, a strange resurgence of an event from those happy years.

"Merlin?" She asked confusedly, walking closer to the apparatus as the children took a break to restock. But she paused when she got closer she realised that the boy was in fact not Merlin. He was too young and his eyes had a different light in them than Merlin's did. There was, however, a striking resemblance between them, and if she didn't know better she would have said that this boy was Merlin's younger brother.

The boy looked up, blue eyes looking curiously at her. "Hi." The boy said, apparently having heard her as she came up to him. "No, not Merlin. I'm Danny."

Gwen's eyes closed in accepting realisation as a smile tugged onto her lips. All week she'd been hearing about Merlin's new ward, predominantly through her husband who didn't know what to make of the younger boy. Danny had made quite an impression on both the king and the knights, but the most common was the observation that he seemed to be like a younger Merlin.

"I shouldn't be surprised that you've found your way into the stocks then." Gwen replied with a warm smile. "I'm Guinevere."

The boy blinked, before a tinge of embarrassment blushed onto his cheeks. "Your Majesty..." he said sounding surprisingly flustered. "I mean... My Lady... I mean"

Gwen held back a laugh. "Gwen will do fine, Danny. And if you can get it through Merlin's head, all the better. He still insists on calling me 'My Lady' even though we've been friends for years. Now what did you do to get yourself put in the stocks?"

Danny bit his lip uncertainly, apparently shy about the reason. "Come now," Gwen comforted, keeping half an eye on the growing crowd. They wouldn't start up again until she had gone, but she caught the cheeky brown eyes of _Sir _Gwaine loitering towards the back. "You've been running around after Merlin all week, I very much doubt that there's anything you could have done that Merlin hasn't exceeded over the years."

The boy bit his lip before beginning a cautious explanation. "Merlin _may_ have sent me to get the Kings breakfast this morning since he was still sleeping off last night." He didn't sound guilty, precisely, but there was still a strange note in his voice. "And I may have ended up saying that it was weird that he didn't know how to dress himself, being king and all."

Gwen pressed a hand to her lips as she bit back a laugh. "Oh, Danny." She breathed. "Sometimes Arthur is just a bit hopeless; he usually only lets Merlin get away with that sort of comment."

"But..." Danny almost pouted, "I mean, he's nearly a decade older than me."

Gwen just shook her head fondly. There was certainly something of Merlin in the boy, the first thing Merlin had ever done was insult Arthur and he'd ended up in the stocks for it. But at the same time Danny was a very different person. Arthur had been quietly impressed when he came back from his hunting trip, and that was not the easiest thing to do.

She bade the boy farewell, happy to have finally met him. He seemed like a nice kid, perhaps slightly more self confident than Merlin had been at that age. And he also had that strange indescribable extra something about him; the curious sparkle in the eyes as though he was in on some private joke that the rest of the world had yet to catch up on. Although while similar, Gwen somehow knew that whatever it was, it was completely different to Merlin's warm glimmer.

As she walked away she smiled, glad that Merlin may have found something of a kindred spirit in the boy. She'd noticed that sometimes Merlin would draw away, as though he felt like an outsider in their little family. As her oldest friend it tore at her heart when Merlin did that, but it was somewhat inevitable, especially now that she'd been crowned queen. She secretly hoped that Danny would be good for Merlin, not in the educational way Arthur anticipated – some nonsense about teaching Merlin responsibility – but in helping Merlin felt like he wasn't alone.

Gwen sent a knowing glance at Gwaine as the knight walked through the crowd, a pail full of rotten tomatoes in his hands. "Don't be too hard on him." She murmured before walking away and back up to the castle, pointedly ignoring Gwaine's cheerily sarcastic "Never, My Lady" in response. She sighed as she walked through the doors to her chambers, knowing that her morning out had cost her more time than she really had in getting ready for the arrival of the delegation from Nemeth.

It was barely under an hour later that she was washed and dressed in an almost excessively opulent red dress, waiting on the front steps of the citadel for their guests to arrive. This would be the first time she met King Rodor and his daughter Mithian, and she was not sure what to expect. Mithian had been Arthur's intended briefly while she herself was in exile, and Gwen did not know how Mithian would react to meeting her, or how she was expected to feel about meeting the woman who had very nearly married the man she loved.

But that was not important at the moment; instead she focused on the task at hand, catching Arthur's hand in hers as they waited together on the front steps. Arthur had determined that in this case an informal greeting was most appropriate, and Gwen had agreed, knowing that he had more experience in this sort of matter than she did. Behind them the knights of Camelot stood proud, forming a unified 'V' shape down the stairs, cloaks of Camelot red and gold flickering in the wind. Off to the sides a number of servants were waiting, but it was only years of having stood in the exact same spot that allowed her to find them in their hidden alcoves.

Ahead a trumpet sounded, and the clatter of horseshoes on stone alerted them to the arrival of the delegation. The first thing Gwen saw were the two leading knights, cloaked in green with a black unicorn painted proudly onto their green shields. But her eyes flicked further back, ignoring the armoured knights for the two riders towards the rear of the line. Even from this distance she could tell that the princess had indeed accompanied her father.

"King Rordor." Arthur commented warmly as the two dismounted, although Gwen could hear the cautious nervousness in her husband's voice. "Princess Mithian. You are most welcome to Camelot."

"Arthur." The elderly king replied, smiling as he caught Arthur's wrist in a firm handshake. "It is good to see you on such terms." The man then turned his attention to Gwen, and she felt the evaluative gaze pass over her. "And this must be the lovely young Guinevere." Rodor continued with a wide smile as he caught her hand and touched his lips to her fingers. "Please accept our apologies in not attending your wedding."

"It's quite alright, Rodor." Arthur stepped in, mercifully saving her from the political nightmare that could inadvertently be caused by her replying. "The ceremony was held only shortly after Morgana's defeat. We welcome your presence now and trust that this only leads our kingdoms on to greater friendship."

"Quite so, my boy. Quite so." The elderly king replied. "It is an audacious endeavour you've set about, I wish you success."

"It is an endeavour I believe in, this is a time for peace and for our kingdoms to form not simply treaties, but genuine friendships." Arthur replied, and Gwen could feel the conviction in his voice. He didn't expand on it, he didn't need to. Months of preparation and organisation came down to this, and in her heart Gwen truly believed that Arthur could do what no other man had done before; unite the kingdoms in the name of peace.

Gwen felt relieved when the welcoming party began to break up, the knights being led to the barracks where all the foreign dignitaries' knights would stay, and the servants coming out to assist in carrying the bags. Arthur of course offered Merlin's services to Rodor and Mithian, and Gwen was quietly amused to see Danny following behind him like a little lost duckling. She smiled once more at her husband, releasing a small surprised yelp when he wrapped his arms around her.

"It's really happening, isn't it?" Arthur asked, his blue eyes looking lovingly into hers and she felt the world melt around them.

"It is." She replied, leaning forward just enough to kiss him on the nose. "And you're going to be brilliant."

Arthur beamed at her, and it was as though the rest of the court didn't matter. In that instant there was only the two of them, gazing into each other's eyes as Arthur built the Camelot he'd always dreamed of. And Gwen's heart filled with joy as she realised that she had even a small part of the great future that Arthur was building, not just for the people of Camelot, but for the entire population of Albion. And despite all the troubles in their past, and the no doubt countless difficulties in the path yet to come, Gwen couldn't help but feel that somehow this was the beginning of something truly great.

* * *

AN; Okay, sorry for the wait, this really didn't want to be written until I changed my mind about the scene order. But... we got the tavern scene, and the plot is finally moving along. Gwen has met Danny, finally, and now the first delegation has arrived. We're getting somewhere.

Translations;  
Beðian Winescipas – Warming Friendships  
Onslæp nu – Sleep now

Anyway, I love you all, but have had slightly too much sugar today and so am going to leave off before I bore you to death.

Cheers,

Bluerose


	11. Fréorig Eorðhús

Chapter 10

Fréorig Eorðhús 

Disclaimer: I do not own either Danny Phantom or Merlin

Danny huffed, absently ruffling his hair as he struggled with a heavy clothes trunk. He'd been let out of the stocks nearly two hours before, much to Gwaine's disappointment. The man had come by halfway through his incarceration and hadn't let up with pelting rotting fruit at him until the guards let him out. It had been quite an experience, and he almost preferred it to detention. Probably it had to do with the fact that he knew he could escape if he really wanted, but it actually had been somewhat amusing as far as punishments went.

Unfortunately he wasn't about to be excused from doing actual work, and both he and Merlin had been roped into getting the visitors from Nemeth settled. So Danny was stuck carrying _King _Rodor's trunk up to his room while Merlin assisted Princess Mithian to her quarters. It would have been alright if the thing weren't so bulky. Or if his arm was better yet. That would have helped a lot.

That was the other thing. The serket sting seemed to be decidedly in the 'annoying' category of wounds and apparently wasn't healing up as fast as cuts normally did for him. When Gaius had looked at it that morning he'd been surprised by just how much it had healed up, and that had led into a five minute discussion on the most noticeable differences between halfa biology and human biology. And Danny still got the distinct impression that Gaius wanted to know more.

"Doing all right there Danny?" A voice asked, and Danny barely managed not to jump as Gwaine appeared from around a corner.

"Gwaine." Danny hissed in surprised agitation as he lost his hold of the trunk and it fell to the floor with a loud thud. "Thank you very much. I was managing all right until you came along." Danny pointedly ignored the knight as he bent down and picked it up again, managing to get a better grip on it this time. He didn't know what exactly was in it, but it felt like the time his dad had tried to pack the entire Fenton Stockades for a family vacation.

"Now that's not very nice, young Danny." Gwaine commented, apparently deciding to shadow him the rest of the way. "Here was little old me, just coming by to offer some assistance, but if you're going to be like that..."

Danny bit back a laugh and rolled his eyes over his shoulder towards the knight. "Somehow I doubt that." He replied. "You probably wanted to get me just lost enough so that when I got to Rodor's room Percival could jump out of the shadows and surprise me."

"Are my intentions really that see through?" Gwaine asked, sounding sarcastically shocked.

"Yes." Danny replied, topping a staircase and rounding a corner. "They are. But since you _so kindly_ offered to help, would you get that door, please?"

Gwaine sent him a mock bow. "Certainly, my good man." The knight replied, opening the door to King Rodor's room so that Danny didn't have to put the trunk down. The room was luxurious, by his reckoning. And Danny got the feeling that even Vlad would have been a bit overwhelmed at the luxury of the room, and this was just one of the chambers reserved for visiting dignitaries. Danny shook his head and put the trunk down next to the closet. Merlin had told him that one of the other servants would be appointed to Rodor during his stay, so all Danny had to do was get the trunk up to the visiting king's room.

Job done he was practically dragged out of the room by Gwaine who seemed to be keen to show him something. Unfortunately, in the process Gwaine managed to pull too hard on his bad arm and it was only barely that Danny managed to bite back the pained gasp that worked its way to his lips. He was dragged down two flights of stairs, through an overcrowded corridor and up another spiralling staircase before Gwaine plonked him in front of a window that happened to be overlooking the castle gardens.

Barely a minute later they were joined by a slightly out of breath Percival and a nervous Elyan.

"Are they there yet?" Percival whispered, leaning over Danny as the bigger man searched out the window.

"Not yet. Be quiet." Gwaine replied, nudging Percival back a bit.

"What are we looking for?" Danny asked, confusedly looking between the gardens and the three knights.

Gwaine clasped a hand over his mouth, effectively preventing him from speaking. "Just wait." The brunette said, his eyes fixed on the gardens below. There was a long silence before a huge grin crept onto the man's face. "Ha!" He said, pointing out and down. "I told you, now pay up." Danny blinked confusedly as both Elyan and Percival groaned, but he turned back down to the garden when he saw Merlin walking through the flowers with a smiling Princess Mithian.

"Last year when Mithian came she was _intended_ to marry Arthur." Gwaine explained, clearly catching Danny's confusion.

"But Gwen..." Danny interrupted confused.

"Was not here at the time." Elyan replied shortly, and Danny decided not to pry on what was apparently a private story.

"Anyway, our Merlin goes to all sorts of trouble to make sure that Mithian didn't take Gwen's place as Arthur's queen." Gwaine continued, looking smug. "But I figured there had to be more going on. See, I'm thinking that our Merlin _likes_ the Lady Mithian."

"So you bet on whether they'd end up spending time together..." Danny trailed, looking up at the brown eyed knight bemusedly.

"Exactly." Gwaine emphasised. "There's no sense in watching Merlin's clumsily romantic escapades if you don't stand to make a profit out of it." And somehow just then the knight reminded Danny of Tucker. Not fully, but the little part of Tuck that was always keen to put bets on, well, Danny's love life.

"And you're showing me this, why?" Danny asked, looking between the three.

Gwaine beamed a not quite healthy grin that almost made Danny want to back away. "Merlin." All three replied at the same time.

"We need an impartial observer." Elyan said. "Someone who's not going to turn anything they see to their own advantage."

"And with you running around after Merlin all day, you're in the perfect position to... observe." Gwaine added, smiling lecherously.

Danny blinked, looking out the window at the two walking through the grounds. They seemed like they were just talking, like he and Sam did when they were on their own... or him and Valerie. Girls who he was just friends with and had absolutely no romantic interest in whatsoever. At all. "You want me to follow Merlin around, just so you don't have to exercise your own... voyeuristic tendencies?"

"Not exactly." Percival said.

"More like... if you happen to see anything that looks like something, we'd greatly appreciate if you'd tell us about that something, so that we can determine if that something is anything that could suggest that something more than nothing is happening." Gwaine finished.

"Do you even know what you just said?" Danny asked, raising an eyebrow at the dark haired knight. Percival laughed, sending a smile towards Danny. And the four of them probably would have said more of Arthur hadn't poked his head into their alcove at that moment.

"Shouldn't you three be elsewhere?" The king asked, sending the three knights a suspiciously piercing glance.

"We were just..." Elyan began, but broke off uneasily.

"Seeing if young Danny here was interested in a proposition." Gwaine finished, slinging an arm around Danny's shoulders in a complete picture of artificial nonchalance.

"A proposition." Arthur replied sceptically, looking between Gwaine and Danny.

Gwaine nodded. "Yep, we wanted to see if we could convince Danny to... squire for one of us."

Arthur frowned. "I was unaware you were looking for a squire, Gwaine."

"Well, not usually, no." Gwaine replied haltingly. "But he's not as useless as those nobles' sons that prance around pretending they know everything there is to know about everything."

Arthur hummed thoughtfully, appearing to consider what Gwaine was saying. "And has Daniel expressed any interest in squiring for any of you before you cornered him?" The king asked, turning to face him, and Danny felt very much like a deer caught in the headlights.

"No, sire." He replied, shaking his head nervously.

"Then I suggest the three of you move on." Arthur suggested, gesturing out of the alcove after which the three of them practically fled. The king's gaze turned back to Danny and he felt exceedingly nervous recalling exactly what had led to him being put in the stocks in the first place. Danny stayed still, unsure what to expect of the king. He knew that, one day, this man would go down in history as the greatest king ever known. But he also knew that _this_ Arthur wasn't quite there yet.

Unexpectedly the king just nodded and gave Danny a couple of chores that he and Merlin needed to get sorted before the welcoming feast that night. Danny nodded and walked after the king, apparently he was expected to attend to the man for the short time while Merlin was attending to Mithian. It was... awkward, Danny was used to living in a society where 'servants' were almost nonexistent, and usually chose it as a job more than it being a station in life. Admittedly Arthur was better than what some of the other servants complained about, but it was still much harder work than anything Danny had ever experienced before.

The hours passed slowly, and Danny was sincerely grateful when Merlin appeared to help get the king ready for the feast. Danny himself wasn't attending this one at all, it was just a small one to welcome Rodor and Mithian into Camelot, rather than a big celebration. But Merlin had told him that he would have to be there for the first night when all the delegations had arrived. Feeling slightly dazed he made his way back to Gaius' chambers, still feeling unsure about where he stood with King Arthur. But as time passed he soon found himself laughing along with Gaius at the thought of Merlin standing behind Arthur while the two of them enjoyed a nice warm home cooked meal.

The rest of the week passed in a busy blur. The injury from the serket sting eventually healed up, and he found himself caught up in a bigger number of chores than ever before. Sometimes he wondered what his dad would think if he could see him now because he definitely wasn't shirking his chores. He wasn't given the chance to, and it wasn't like ghosts were popping up at all hours here in Camelot. He was kept busy, but a generally good kind of busy that was somehow balanced with hours of learning some ancient remedies with Gaius.

The castle became more crowded as each of the other delegations arrived, Arthur varying between meeting them in the throne room and out on the stairs of the courtyard. It was rare for Danny to actually see the dignitaries when they arrived, the servants were expected to keep hidden and then move things to their various rooms. At first he thought it was unusual, but then he remembered his limited experiences with Vlad. He actually couldn't remember seeing any staff in his Wisconsin 'castle' whenever he was there, so he supposed it was just a normal part of castle life.

But soon enough the entire citadel was full. Extra knights were on the training grounds, decked in a myriad of colours in addition to the bright Camelot red. Servants bustled around him, never staying still for a moment because one of the visiting kings was always requiring something or other. Danny found his own time with the knights drastically reduced, and Merlin was eternally caught running behind an overworked Arthur. It was almost bizarre how frazzled everyone was. Superficially everything was fine, the kings were settling in and their various advisors could be seen enjoying the castle grounds. But in the kitchens and hidden corridors everyone was run off their feet. Danny didn't even have time to feel tired in his exhaustion.

It was only late one night when Merlin was snoring softly on the bed beside him that Danny realised he'd been in Camelot for two weeks and hadn't even started thinking of a single way to get back home.

* * *

Kilian stalked silently through the shadows, eyes shifting cautiously as he searched for any sign of movement. He carefully followed the shadows, heading down into the depths of the castle dungeons. He knew what he was looking for, but not exactly where it would be. He had never been to Camelot before, mercifully, but the illusion of peace the city presented made him sick. It was full of disgusting inconsistencies; a city claiming peace for all and then completely rejecting half the population. Kilian had only been too happy to subscribe to Eadric's service. Kind Eadric was a powerful man, and he understood what it took to rule a people. And he was true to his own ideals, for that Kilian had the deepest respect for his liege lord.

He pressed himself against a wall as a red cloaked guard walked past, receding into the shadows of an alcove until the danger passed. For now it would do no good to arouse any sort of suspicion, and while killing the guard would make his passage easier, it would only put more scrutiny on all the visiting delegations. So he stayed in the shadows, allowing a few tense minutes to pass by before he continued on his path down into the bowels of the castle.

Eventually he came across a barred archway, hidden at the very bottom of the dungeons. Cautiously he pushed it open, grinning when he saw the deep sloping staircase that told him he'd found exactly what he wanted. He grabbed a torch off the dungeon wall, murmuring a spell to light it before climbing through the metal gated entrance. The stairs led down, spiralling steeply away and further down into the very heart of Camelot. They were covered in a thin layer of dust, but that was unsurprising as by all reports there was no reason for this staircase to have been used in years.

His task was a simple one, given to him on Eadric's orders as a means to bring the hypocritical kingdom to its knees. He himself had come up with the spell, and Eadric had conceived the rest of the plan. For now he was to scope out the remnants of the cave that had held the Great Dragon and collecting anything that could have come from the beast himself. After the Siege that had rent Daobeth apart there had been much cause to investigate the properties of draconic remains. Kilian himself had come across any number of useful spells that relied on the beasts' remains as key ingredients.

The second part of his task was far simpler, gathering key totems that could represent a likeness for all the key parties of Camelot. It would allow Eadric and him greater power over them even once they returned to their own kingdom, allowing them to slowly chip away at the kingdom without needing to resort to something as basal as an initial frontal assault. It was something he found fascinating about magic; that something as simple as a drop of blood could become its owner's undoing.

It was something he'd found moderately disturbing about Camelot, the way none of its citizens seemed to recognise that as a possibility. In Daobeth people were much more reserved, even the servants wore a protective layer of leather to ensure that no one could gain a drop of blood, and every maiden's hair was tied up so as to be certain that none took their hair for use in spells. Magic may have been virtually banned there, but it was still practiced. In contrast it was laughable how ignorant the people of Camelot were about how the craft actually worked.

Kilian smirked as he came to the bottom landing, carves stone given way to naturally shaped stone as he stepped out onto a platform. His eyes raked the dark cave, a small pool of moonlight glimmering off the darkened rocks, giving strange glittering shadows in his torchlight. The cave was massive, and Kilian felt himself slightly awed at the thought of the beast that once lived here. A slight chill filled the air, making Killian draw his long jacket further across his chest. And omnipresent in the cavern was the sound of steady dripping, water leaking down through the earth and breaking the silence of the echoing void. Opposite his platform was a large mound of rocks, and Kilian could almost imagine standing here in the shadow of the behemoth as it slept.

He licked his lips greedily at the thought, moving the torch between his hands as he spotted another staircase that seemed to lead down to the base of the mound. He cautiously walked down the staircase, skidding slightly on slippery rock as he made his way towards the rock pile. Greedy eyes widened at the sight of huge chain links, each nearly a foot large and made of five inch thick iron. But even more beautiful were the artful glyphs etched into every link, promising entrapment and confinement. These were the remains of the chains that had held the Great Dragon beneath Camelot for over twenty years.

Calloused fingers traced over the single broken link, slightly awed at the remains as he envisaged the sheer magic that would have been needed to break the chain. Someone truly powerful had come down here and set the dragon free, and Kilian couldn't help the lustful glimmer that entered his eyes at the thought. To be able to control someone with that much power, the power to destroy a chain that held a dragon captive, would add immeasurably to their cause.

Unfortunately whoever had freed the dragon was long gone, and Kilian couldn't find anything that could lead him to their identity. He was unsurprised that the offender hadn't been caught. Without magic, Camelot and all the other kingdoms were weak against its attacks. No doubt if there had been a half skilled sorcerer here at the time, the person who set the dragon free would have been caught. Magic that strong left a trail so strong that even those not gifted with sensing magic could trace it.

But that wasn't his concern for now, and there was little use in searching for someone who had disappeared years ago. In a kingdom like this it was more than likely that they had already been killed for something else. Instead he set about his search, slowly climbing the rocky mound as he searched for what he needed. The rock was scarred with long scratches, gouges left in the rock from years of the dragon landing and taking off from this pedestal. But a gouge in the earth was not what he needed. Unfortunately an hour of scouring the rocky mound found nothing helpful buried amongst the stony pile.

Kilian paused, looking around at the dark edges of the cavern. High up there were other matching gouges, leading to high up worn platforms that Kilian could never hope to reach. He shook his head, letting out a quick breath before turning his attention back to the rock mound. Shifting through rock was not his favourite part of this, but he was the only one who could do it. He didn't trust any of their knights to know what they were looking for, and Eadric could hardly come down here to look for himself. He was a king after all.

Another hour of sifting through the rocks bore little fruit other than a number of scratches on his hands and several bruises. That was no matter, he could heal himself up. But he was annoyed at the fact that after _twenty years_ of imprisonment there wasn't a single remnant of the dragon that had lived here. He knew that what he was looking for was rare, but even dragons couldn't help but shed some signs of their existence.

Kilian stood up tiredly, glaring down from his perch at the top of the mound. His mind unhappily tripping over the idea that maybe, just maybe, the same magic user who had set the beast free had claimed all the beast's leavings for himself. If that would put a serious damper on King Eadric and his plans. He was about to give up, intending to come back another day with a fresh torch when he saw something.

Rocks tumbled town around him as he hastily climbed down the mound to the far side. There, half buried under broken shards of grey stone was what he'd spent the last three hours searching for. Reverent fingers pushed aside the fractured stone, setting it aside to free the glittering thing from beneath. It was small, almost unnoticeable, but it was brilliant. It was the keystone to all their plans and the foundation for Camelot's downfall.

A smirk crossed his gaze as he lifted his fingers to the light, a single golden scale clutched in his calloused hands.

* * *

Merlin stood straight, leaning carefully back against the cold stone wall of the feasting chambers to disguise his weariness. It had been a long week, Arthur was working him to the bone and despite the fact that he was grateful for Danny's assistance, he would be glad when the peace talks were all over. Currently he was standing behind his king, a pitcher of wine ready in his hands as the dignitaries all came in. He watched, smiling as King Rodor escorted his daughter in, sending the young woman a short smile which she acknowledged.

The king of Nemeth was soon followed by King Odin, this time accompanied by an advisor rather than his blonde haired daughter. Merlin was secretly grateful for it since he was unsure about whether Princess Vivian was still under the love spell that had enchanted her to fall in love with Arthur all those years ago. If there was one thing this meeting didn't need, it was a disruption caused by the young blonde princess becoming jealous of Gwen. Odin took his place at the head table as his advisor broke off towards the table for the lesser nobles.

King Alined followed, this time supported by a pompous looking old man. The king looked more subdued than he had during his last visit, and more worn. And it appeared that the trickster sorcerer Trickler was long gone. After taking his seat the two kings Cathal and Raegan appeared, seemingly in deep discussion as their offsiders followed behind him. Now all five of the original Five Kingdoms were present in the room in addition to the king of Nemeth, and Merlin sent a cautious glance towards king Rodor as he studied the five.

A soft smile crept onto his face when Queen Annis strode in, her shoulders set back strong as she sent a vaguely proud smile in Arthur's direction. Merlin wasn't given much time to think before King Lot entered, pacing across the chamber before smiling and shaking Arthur's hand. The new king of Essetir seemed a lot kinder than Cenred ever had been. Merlin was glad for this; it meant that life for his mother was not quite as hard when the king's men came for taxes. Ealdor was still a village in Essetir and the kind new king had made a difference even at the farthest reaches of his kingdom.

Merlin smiled happily at the thought, it was subtle, but across the land the signs were there. Albion was waiting, and Merlin was proud of Arthur for bringing it slowly together. His kind influence spread to other kingdoms, and from there to the people. Despite all the tumult of their past, the future couldn't look more bright for Camelot and the people of Albion. A fond sort of warmth settled in his own chest at the thought, and his eyes found their way to Arthur's blonde head of hair. His King was standing proud, currently claiming the centre seat of the head table as he gazed over the crowd.

Across the room he spotted Danny, the younger boy seemingly imitating his position from behind the knights of Camelot. Merlin found it slightly amusing, as the younger boy had been tricked into wearing the same red jacket he had during his first feast in Camelot. However apparently Danny was slightly more attentive than Merlin had been at that age because when he recognised that Merlin wasn't wearing an obnoxiously feathered hat he'd immediately proceeded to take it off. Although not quite soon enough that it had escaped Sir Gwaine's notice.

The brunette knight was currently seated, a wide grin on his face as he chatted amicably with some of the visiting knights. That table was a rainbow of colour, each of the knights wearing their own particular kingdom's colours as they waited for the feast to begin. Merlin shook his head as Danny was waved forwards, filling the brunette's cup from technically over the wrong shoulder. Danny was still getting used to the whole 'servant' lifestyle, and Merlin could tell that it was very different to how people lived a thousand years in the future.

That in itself was a strange thought, for Danny, all of this was history. What was happening right now was a part of his past, and it was entirely possible that all of this was what set the foundations for the lifestyle that Danny knew. And Merlin couldn't help but smile, Danny seemed a generally happy person despite what he told of his ghost problems. The world he lived in sounded like a peaceful one, where all men were seen as equal. And that meant that ultimately his and Arthur's dream for Camelot and a united Albion would succeed.

King Bayard came in, nodding in acknowledgement to Arthur before taking his seat at the far end of the high table. This left only one king to come in; king Eadric. Merlin knew very little of the man, other than the fact that he'd impressed Arthur by bringing his kingdom back into prosperity. Merlin himself hadn't seen much of the king, only a passing glance as he arrived two days prior. His colours were black with a red cockatrice, but that meant very little.

The Daobethan king swept into the hall, pulling the attention of the whole room as he made his entrance. Merlin frowned as he caught his first glance of the man, seeing ruthlessness in his bright green eyes. The man was tall, bulky muscles adding mass to his broad shoulders; his jaw was wide set and set in a hard scowl. A huge mane of dark blonde hair sprouted out from his pale scalp, a matching goatee pulling at the tip of his face. But the man's most striking feature was the long scar that stretched over his right eye, boring down halfway across his cheek.

The man looked cruel, but even as he watched the man's face twisted into a smile as he stepped forward and shook Arthur's hand. Merlin studied the gesture, noting the strange ring sitting on his finger. Most kings wore a ring bearing their own royal seal. Arthur himself wore his wedding band, the seal worn hidden on a leather necklace around his neck. But King Eadric didn't have the cocatrice on his ring; instead he wore a detailed skull on his thick fingers, two ruby gems glittering menacingly out of its eyes.

Merlin watched as the man turned around, nodding subtly towards his councilman and knight, Sir Kilian. But his attention was quickly drawn to Danny, the young boy's face draining of colour as he took an involuntary step back against the wall, the pitcher in his hands tumbling out of his hands with a clamour that went unnoticed in the noisy chamber. His blue eyes were wide, filled with dread as he stared at the dark clad king. Merlin wanted to go over and check that his charge was alright, but he couldn't do that just now.

Instead he had to observe as Danny put on a brave face, a false smile pulling at his lips as Percival made a joke. The tension seemed to drop from that part of the room, never even noticed by the kings and queen at the head table. Merlin was grateful for that, and that whatever Percival was saying it seemed to quell Danny's nerves. But still, Merlin was worried as he looked at the still pale face of the younger boy.

Making his mind up he focused on the boy, connecting with Danny's cold magic just enough to touch the boy's mind. _'What was that?'_ Merlin asked silently, projecting the thought loudly enough that hopefully the boy would catch it.

Danny's eyes creased slightly, and the boy sent a strange glance in his direction. Meeting his eyes the boy seemed to shake his head infinitesimally, the message 'Not now' clear despite the lack of speaking. Merlin didn't know if Danny would be able to use mind-speak, but was encouraged at least by the fact that he'd been heard. An uncomfortable weight settled in his stomach as the night wore on, noting that every so often the boy's eyes would flit warily towards the dark clad king.

Impossible as it was, it was as though Danny _knew_ King Eadric Blæcādlig. But Merlin wouldn't be able to find out exactly how that was feasible until after the feast. He found himself tensing up slightly, more warily watching the proceedings as the nobles enjoyed the feast and the company. Eadric seemed to fit in well, nothing jarring about his movements or real falseness in the eyes. In fact, compared to Alined's overall sliminess he looked particularly easygoing, sharing in the mirth as much as any of them.

Hours passed, the nobles eating and the knights all growing redder in the face as the evening progressed. The candles were all burning low in their holders by the time people started leaving, but it was still half an hour more before the feast hall was empty. Arthur and Gwen had disappeared, holding hands and laughing cheekily, and Merlin had taken that as an indication that Arthur wouldn't need his help for the rest of the evening. At least he seriously hoped Arthur wouldn't want his help with the way Gwen was looking at the young king.

Merlin frowned, leaving the hall behind for the cleaning crew. He was lucky he'd never had to stay for that job, his position as Arthur's manservant saved him from having to clean up the gigantean mess the nobles always seemed to leave. But instead of heading back to Gaius's chambers, he followed the trace of Danny's cool presence up and through the castle towards the western battlements.

The boy was pale, sitting precariously in one of the buttresses with his arms clutched tight against his chest. Moonlight pooled over him, making the younger boy look almost ethereal despite being in his human form. It didn't take much to see that the boy was scared, something about Eadric had left him deeply unsettled and Merlin knew he needed to get to the bottom of it. He tapped the boy lightly on the shoulders, indicating his presence to the younger boy.

"What happened back there?" Merlin asked, unsure how to get Danny to talk. With Arthur he'd just teas until the prat opened up, but something gave him the feeling that that wouldn't work with Danny. "Forgive the pun, but you looked like you saw a ghost."

Danny shook his head, turning to face him with a dismissive "Nothing."

Merlin just raised an eyebrow. "You know, if you don't want to talk I can just as easily turn you into a squirrel again so you can't."

Danny scowled at him and huffed, an almost smile tugging at his lips. "And how long did that work last time?" The boy countered. "Besides, I can turn you into an icicle faster than you can say the words."

Merlin smiled in response, glad to have at least shaken the boy out of his fear. "Seriously though, what happened? It looked like you recognised him."

Danny frowned, eyes distant as he looked out into the night. "He looked familiar." The dark haired boy replied, a shiver visibly running through his body as Merlin watched him.

"How is that possible?" Merlin asked, trying to catch the boy in the eyes. "By your time... everyone alive now would be dead."

Danny nodded, turning to face him. "That's exactly the problem." Danny replied, blue eyes glimmering worriedly as he looked at Merlin. "Because over a thousand years from now I think I fought his ghost."

Merlin felt his stomach sink. It didn't have to mean anything; it could just be that Eadric held onto something mediocre tightly enough that his spirit couldn't truly find rest in Avalon, or it could be a son or similar looking descendant. After all, a thousand years was a long time, and millions of people would live and die in that time, any number of them leaving the ghosts that Danny would one day have to fight. But given the deep set worry in Danny's eyes he really doubted it. "What was he like?" Merlin heard himself ask, not sure he wanted to hear the answer.

"Terrible." Danny replied eventually, his blue eyes dark and haunted as he shook his head reflectively. "Driven by power and greed; destroying all in his path with an iron fist. With the Crown of Fire and the Ring of Rage he was unstoppable, the dark conqueror of the world of the dead. All the ghosts feared him and he nearly brought the human world to its knees." Danny paused, shaking rubbing the back of his neck as though it physically pained him. "That fight was one of the hardest I've ever fought, and probably the closest I've ever come to truly dying. But I won, in the end. I was lucky. Few ever went up against him and survived."

"And you think it's Eadric?" Merlin pressed.

Danny nodded, his face set in a worried frown. "He looks almost the same." Danny replied. "The same dark clothes, same red and black cloak. He even had the same ring. Only his hair was different and he still has both eyes. But I'm sure it's him."

"Who?" Merlin asked, somehow knowing the answer before Danny had even said it.

Danny's face was grim as he met Merlin firmly in the eyes, determination pushing through his fear as he gave the condemning answer. And Merlin's stomach plummeted as he remembered one of the stories Danny had told him about his ghost fights, a story of a dark being, so evil and so powerful that he could only be stopped by being locked away in a closed sarcophagus. "The Dread King," The boy answered bleakly. "Pariah Dark."

* * *

AN; So now we know the true identity of King Eadric. Honestly, how many of you saw it coming when I introduced him? And now I'm happy to say that his surname 'Blæcādlig' Translates as 'Black' 'Sickness' or, very loosely; Pariah Dark.

Translations;  
Fréorig Eorðhús – Freezing Cave

Adieu,

Bluerose


	12. Hleówe Sehtas

Chapter 11

Hleówe Sehtas

Disclaimer: I do not own either Danny Phantom or Merlin

Gwaine grinned as he drew back into the shadows of an alcove, concealing himself in the dark crevice as he observed his prey. Like the hunter in the forest he moved silently, circling closer and closer to his target in short bursts and controlled movements. The narrow halls of Camelot seemed to shrink in tightly together, shortening in the distance as he closed in unnoticed on his prey. Quiet as a cat he took the final few steps, smirking at the thought that his quarry still hadn't noticed him. He reached out, careful fingers ghosting along the fine hairs at the back of his victim's neck, intending to wind him up just a bit before diving in for the follow up. His hand clasped lightly around the back of his victim's neck...

And he found himself slammed hard against the wall, his back contacting solidly against the cold stone as a firm hand drove him backwards. Gwaine blinked, white spots dancing in front of his eyes from the sudden movement. For the tiniest moment he could have sworn he saw two blinding green eyes staring at him, but that was gone in an instant.

"Oh, crud." Danny said, quickly dropping him and pulling away, a look of fear in his blue eyes as he stared at the knight. "Streng... Gwaine, I'm so sorry."

Gwaine let out a short laugh, surprised to have had the tables turned on him so quickly. "It's fine." Gwaine dismissed, absently rubbing his chest where the boy's hand had just been. "I shouldn't have been sneaking up on you."

"That was you?" Danny demanded shrilly. "You've been following me since the armoury."

"The kitchens actually." Gwaine corrected, his eyes widening in realisation. Danny had been in the armoury the best part of half an hour ago, that meant that he'd known he was being followed for almost three quarters the time Gwaine had even been following him. Impressive. Almost disturbingly so. "How'd you know?"

Danny bit his lip, blue eyes closing off just a bit before the dark haired boy shrugged. "People don't always rely on brute force." He replied, and Gwaine could sense the unspoken layer to the younger boy's nonchalance, even if he couldn't understand it. The roguish knight absently followed the boy as Danny led the way up a winding narrow staircase and back towards the main castle. It took a moment to place the unsettled feeling in his stomach, but as soon as he realised his eyes widened in awed appreciation.

"You were leading me here." Gwaine commented, noting the temporary tension in the boy's shoulders as Danny paused and turned embarrassedly to face him. Gwaine hadn't even known the staircase existed; it was down one of those narrow corridors that only the servants could ever find. Danny was positioned on the higher ground and would be better able to defend himself. It was a clever manipulation; the boy using the terrain to buy himself a better advantage against an unknown opponent. But it was equally alarming in the fact that a kid so much younger than Gwaine even knew to do that.

"Yeah," Danny admitted, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. "I've sorta learned to trust my guts on that kind of thing."

Gwaine frowned; he'd been to a lot of places, and it wasn't like he didn't know that the world he lived in was a pretty rough one. A lot of people were forced to grow up fast, but never to this level of subtle defensive tactics. He hadn't even realised where he was being led to, just followed the kid down into the bowels of the castle. If he hadn't sprung his own trap so early, it was more than likely that Danny would have got the jump on him. It wasn't scary so much as it was saddening.

Gwaine suddenly felt very grateful for Arthur and for what he was trying to do. He was glad that there were people like the king in the world; people who were making it a safe world to grow up in. An age of equality, one where people like Danny didn't have to feel afraid of threats like that. He'd always – well, almost always, there were a couple of times where he'd doubted – always thought that there was something special about Arthur and the way he saw the world. An appreciative smile settled itself on Gwaine's lips, happy in the knowing that what the king was doing right now was making the world a better place for people like Danny.

The two of them somehow found their way out to the courtyard, although Gwaine had no idea how to trace the route. At the moment the courtyard was fairly busy, people moving around and preparing before the first official council meeting in the afternoon. Technically speaking he was supposed to be out on the training grounds, but it was far more entertaining to chase down Merlin's ward than to clash swords with the greenie knights again.

Beside him Danny jumped, much like he had the night before when the kings were coming in. Gwaine had originally chalked it up to nervousness at being surrounded by royalty. But seeing his face now, the flash of fear in the boy's eyes, he wasn't so sure. The dark haired knight followed the boy's gaze, catching the dark black swirl of King Eadric's cloak. Gwaine didn't know much of Daobeth other than it was reportedly very dark and had been literally dragged back to prominence after the Siege of Dragons had practically burned it to the ground.

"What's got you so skittish?" Gwaine probed, nudging the boy around the shoulder and angling the two of them towards the training grounds.

Danny shook his head, sending a disarming smile his way. "Nothing." The boy replied before looking confusedly at where they now stood. "Why are we here? I thought Arthur vetoed me being on the training grounds while the visiting kingdoms were here."

"I'm bored." Gwaine replied with a shrug, understanding what the boy meant even if he didn't know the word 'vetoing'. That was something he found strange about the boy, sometimes he'd use words that he'd never used before, and others he'd be completely clueless about words that were common. But now wasn't the time for considering language, instead Gwaine smiled as he tossed the younger boy a quarterstaff. "And what the princess doesn't know won't hurt him."

Danny raised a sceptical eyebrow, but didn't question any further as he accepted the weapon Gwaine handed to him. The two moved to one of the quieter corners of the training grounds, moving through the sea of other practicing knights that were all decked out in their own liege's colours. Gwaine didn't give any warning before he surged forward, aiming for a quick jab at the boy's side.

Gwaine's staff was deflected, sliding harmlessly to the side as the boy blocked before lunging forward himself. Gwaine stepped back lightly, quickly moving his own staff back to block off the attack. The two staffs met with a loud crack as hard wood thudded heavily into hard wood. Danny grinned at him, his blue eyes lighting in delighted challenge as his staff was withdrawn. Gwaine grinned right back, flashing the boy a daring smirk before returning the blow. He was glad for the chance, his preference had always been for fighting with a sword, but it was good to keep in practice with more than just one weapon.

Danny smirked, twirling his staff around his back so that his next attack was to Gwaine's undefended side. Gwaine dodged quickly out of the way, moving around the staff just in time to evade being hit. His follow up shot was no more successful; Danny evaded the swinging quarterstaff like water around a rock. The boy's staff twirled once more, a particularly stylish move that left Gwaine just distracted enough that the boy was able to break through his defences and land a hit on his right thigh.

Gwaine looked up, meeting smirking eyes evenly before breaking into a devilish grin. The fight drove to a higher intensity, the thud of wood on wood loud in the air as the two moved around each other. It was different using a quarterstaff to a sword; the distance between the two of them was kept just that bit further away. Danny was a real challenge with the long weapon, moving it almost as artfully as Gwaine could with his sword. It made Gwaine long for the day when Arthur let the kid pick up a sword, but that was not today.

Half an hour he was breathing heavily, sweat tickling his brow as the fight pressed onwards. The boy had given him a good run around with the staff, moving all around their small section of the training grounds and pressing every advantage. He knew he was going to be wearing a couple of bruises, but he also knew that he'd landed a few good hits on the boy. Danny was smiling, the workout seeming to have relieved his nervousness somewhat.

Gwaine caught an opening and dove forward, only to be stopped cold with a quarterstaff at his chin. He froze, staring into the younger boy's eyes for a minute. The two of them were practically mirroring each other; each had their staff hovering just beneath the other's chin as they stared each other off. Danny cracked into a laugh, pulling his staff away first and leaning on the tall weapon jovially.

"A draw?" Danny asked, his blue eyes sparkling in the sunlight.

"A draw." Gwaine agreed, catching the boy around the shoulders and ruffling his hair. "But mark my words; I can beat you at swordcraft any day."

"If you insist..." Danny smirked, "But you know, it doesn't just take a sword to beat a sword."

"Wise words indeed." A deep voice interjected. "Especially for one so young." Gwaine looked up, flinching slightly at the crowd that they had pulled. After Danny's first week there most of the Camelot knights had become grudgingly used to his presence, but with so many knights visiting from other kingdoms he should have known that this was a possibility. The speaker was King Eadric, but Gwaine couldn't quite fathom the look in the king's eyes as he looked between the two of them.

Gwaine looked beside him at his younger companion, the boy's face had paled considerably and there seemed to be an almost feral wariness in the depths of his eyes. Gwaine inwardly frowned, wondering if there was something deeper going on between the two. There didn't seem to be, but the way Danny stiffened every time he was in the king's presence was unusual. Actually, it reminded Gwaine a little of how Merlin used to be around Agravaine, but that was a parallel he really didn't want to draw.

"Thank you, your highness." Danny replied stiffly, looking down at the ground.

"My Lord." Gwaine nodded, bowing his head slightly. He still didn't like the whole 'noble class' mentality, but he acknowledged that in this case stirring trouble would be counterproductive. Eadric was a king, and since the whole point of having all these different delegations visit was to make peace with them.

"You are Sir Gwaine, correct?" The king asked, nodding towards him in acknowledgement. "One of Arthur's first circle of knights."

"Yeah." Gwaine replied, unable to help the soft smile that came to his lips. Despite his natural wariness, he couldn't believe the way his life had turned out. "He's a good king."

"No doubt." Eadric replied, a strange, almost distasteful smile playing on his lips. "It takes some considerable fortitude to surmount the challenges he has faced, and no doubt there's much that doesn't trickle through the reports."

Gwaine nodded respectfully, but felt somewhat wary of the man. If he didn't know any better he would have thought that Eadric was digging for information. "We have our moments." Gwaine replied, sending the green eyed king a broad smile. "So what brings you down here this time of day?"

"I was looking for one of my advisors." The king replied, offering a disarming smile. "But I'll admit I found myself distracted by you and your young squire."

"I'm not..." Danny began, but Gwaine quickly cut off the boy's denial.

"He's not my squire, your highness, at least not yet." Gwaine replied. "He's shown enough promise that most of Arthur's first circle are vying for him. I just wanted the practice." Danny would probably have said that he was a servant, which would be a sure-fire way to make the king suspicious of him. Servants didn't have those sorts of skills and there were a whole onslaught of reasons to not let on that Danny was a servant who did. This way it made out that he was at least a page; low enough to have to serve the nobility, but his presence with the knights wouldn't be questioned. It was perfect.

"He does show promise." Eadric acknowledged. "Perhaps we can convince your king to have a tournament while the treaty discussions are going on. It would be good for all our knights to meet on civil terms."

"I wouldn't say no to that myself." Gwaine answered cheerfully, pointedly ignoring the younger boy stiffening by his side. "We're always up for a bit of competition."

"Good." The dark blonde haired king chuckled, green eyes sparkling in mirth. "I'll be sure to mention it. See if the knights of Camelot are up to scratch."

Gwaine nodded, smiling himself as the king bade them both farewell. As far as they went he seemed like a decent sort of king; maybe not quite as friendly as Arthur, but Eadric did seem to have a competitive streak that appealed to the roguish knight. Still smiling he turned to face Danny, only now registering the blankness in his eyes. He nudged the boy's shoulders, shaking him out of his reverie.

The smile slipped of Gwaine's face as he added up Danny's reactions. The kid was apparently scared of Eadric, and Gwaine wanted to know why. Eadric didn't seem to have met Danny before, in fact he seemed vaguely impressed by the younger boy, and with Danny's accent it was hardly likely that the boy was some fugitive from Daobeth that had offended the king. The facts just didn't seem to add up. "You've met him before?" Gwaine asked.

Danny shook his head. "He doesn't have any history with me." The boy replied.

"But you do with him." Gwaine replied, narrowing his eyes in confusion at the younger boy as he noticed the evasion.

"Not yet." Danny dismissed, but Gwaine could swear he heard a dark significance in the younger boy's voice. Gwaine tried to analyse the paradoxical statement, but couldn't make sense of it. "Anyway, sorry Gwaine, but I think there's a couple of chores I was supposed to get done before the talks this afternoon. See you later?"

Gwaine nodded numbly, watching the boy's retreating back as he took off at a fast jog. Something gave the roguish knight the feeling that he was standing at the edge of some bigger secret, but he couldn't figure out what was hidden just beyond his reach. He shook his head, dismissing the thought entirely. He'd have to keep an eye on Danny, make sure that he didn't end up in trouble with the Daobethan king.

And in the interim he set his mind on the next prank he could pull on the younger boy. After all, there was no point in looking out for Merlin's ward if he couldn't have a bit of fun at it.

All he needed now was some twine, a hook, some mead... and maybe one of the castle cats.

* * *

Arthur smiled as he walked through the bustling corridors of Camelot. Beside him was Queen Annis, the elder queen having particularly sought him out. She was one of the earlier arrivals, having been in Camelot for the better part of five days now. Most of her time had been spent with Guinevere, exploring the castle grounds. A bubbly Gwen had recounted their visit to the lower town together, enthused by the elder queen's support of their improving the quality of life for everyone in Camelot.

Today was to be the first of the treaty talks, and this afternoon was probably going to be the first of several long and arduous debates about various technicalities. Arthur was well aware of the complexity of what he was attempting to achieve, but he firmly believed that it could be done. He wanted this, not just for the people of Camelot, but for all Albion. It had been his dream for so long and was finally becoming a reality.

Arthur smiled as he led the way to the small grassed upper bailey that overlooked the lower town. He had always been drawn to that spot; it was easily the most connected place in the entire citadel, overlooking both the keep and the town and showing the rolling White Mountains in the distance. He smiled, leaning comfortably over a buttress to look at his city.

"You have done well, Arthur." The queen spoke, smiling knowingly at him as he turned to look at her. Annis was far more experienced than him, having been a young queen herself while Arthur was barely fitting into his squire's boots. But he couldn't help the swell of pride that rose in his heart at her words.

"Thank you, my Lady." He replied, smiling as he turned to face the elder queen. "Of all people, it is an honour to hear those words from you."

"You have earned them." Annis replied.

"This," Arthur began, looking over his kingdom. "Is something I have always striven for; the safety and happiness of my people, all my people. Be they rich or poor, commoner or nobleman. I am glad that you can share this now."

"Peace is a noble aim, Arthur." The queen replied, turning her eyes out over the kingdom. "In these troubled times it is hard to find and ever elusive, but I am glad to see what you have created here. You are a greater man than many, a greater man than your father could ever hope to have been."

Arthur let a soft smile pass his lips. His father, he knew, was a great man, but the more he learned about being king, the more he realised that he had to do it his own way. His strengths had to be his own, and his failings were his own responsibility. He wanted Albion to be a just place for all its citizens, and for that to happen he knew that change had to start in the actions of its leaders. "Thank you, Lady Annis." He replied, still looking out over the town.

His eyes caught on the training grounds where the distinctive long hair of Gwaine as he battled with a much ganglier figure. Arthur creased his eyes at the sight, knowing exactly who Gwaine's opponent was. The two seemed to have been fighting for a while, judging by the size of the crowd that had gathered around their corner of the field. The roguish knight and the dark haired knocked quarterstaffs, neither truly gaining any advantage before pulling some overly elaborate move and being deflected by the other.

Annis' attention seemed to have been drawn by the fight too, although she sent a curious glance over her shoulder at the ever present Merlin before returning her gaze to the two fighting down below them. Arthur had deliberately tried to keep Daniel away from the training grounds, knowing the political ramifications of having a servant seen to be fighting against the knights. But he should have known that Gwaine wouldn't be dissuaded for long, and Daniel was too inexperienced with court life to know to stay away. Still, Daniel held his own well, turning an impromptu practice into an intricate dance as he traded blows with Gwaine.

"Your... Fool." Annis asked, her eyes still on the fight. "Is that his brother?" Arthur knew she was talking about Merlin, the man did act the part half the time. However during their first meeting Merlin had blundered into Arthur's negation with the queen, almost at the expense of causing a war. The only way to save the man from his own bumbling nature had been to play him off as a Fool, not what Arthur truly considered the man, but true enough to save his life. Merlin perhaps deserved more, he was his closest friend and council really, but the selfish part of him liked how things were now, and Merlin had never asked for things to change.

"No." Arthur replied, shaking his head lightly as he returned to the subject at hand. "Although you're not the first to ask. The boy is currently Merlin's ward; a partial experiment to see if I can teach the man some responsibility. However the knights have become rather taken by him."

They watched the end of the fight, spotting the king of Daobeth walk up to the two as the crowd dispersed. Eadric didn't speak for long, but seemed to have appealed to Gwaine if the open challenging smile was any indication. The Daobethan king turned away, returning back to the castle in a whirl of black and red. Daniel followed soon after at a quick jog, no doubt racing to finish off a few chores.

"Were your knights the ones who taught him to fight?" Annis asked curiously, turning once more to look at him when it became clear that the entertainment was over.

"Actually no." Arthur replied, unsure where the conversation was going. "The boy, Daniel, has not been with us for long. I believe he is mostly self trained, although he does show remarkable adaptability against new opponents. It was actually quite amusing the first time he faced Sir Percival."

"I take that he lost." Annis pressed, the tone of cautious curiosity still lacing her voice.

Arthur smiled and shook his head, sharing a half glance with Merlin before turning his attention back to the queen. "He won; he is surprisingly talented for one so young."

"It sounds rather like you will be making another Commoner Knight soon." Annis replied wryly. "Unless, of course you let him slip through your fingers; it looks as though he is capable of impressing more than just knights if our young Eadric is any guide."

Arthur shook his head with a half smile playing on his lips as he let out a half laugh. His eyes absently strayed to Merlin who had a slightly panicked look on his face. "Queen Annis you may be right." Arthur teased. "Although I'm not sure how happy Merlin would be if I let his pet duckling get away." He smiled at Merlin's exaggerated pout, the man obviously catching onto Arthur's act. "However, my Lady, I suppose we had both best be moving on. We're due in the great hall in half an hour."

Annis smiled obligingly at him, allowing him to catch her arm and guide her down through the corridors and back towards the rapidly filling meeting chambers. "Thank you, Arthur." She murmured, nodding graciously at him before moving across the room towards her advisor. Arthur smiled, looking around the room, privately thrilling at the thought that he truly was standing on the cusp of something great.

A soft hand caught in his, and Arthur turned to face the smiling brown eyes of his wife. He gave Guinevere's hand a quick squeeze, grinning happily back at her as he took his seat. For now he was being traditional, holding the meeting at a regular rectangular table. Doing it this way, he hoped, would make his plans for the final day all the more solidifying in creating his dream. Arthur smiled as the dignitaries filed in, the other kings circling the table while their various knights stood behind them, creating the perfect picture of diversified unity.

It was times like this that Arthur truly felt contented. The sword Excalibur sat happily on his waist and he could practically feel Merlin's proud gaze on his back. Here he stood, at the head of a monumental table, about to bring the most prominent kingdoms of Albion together into a new age of peace. And in that moment he truly felt like the King Merlin always said he could be.

* * *

Danny jumped, the sound of movement from around the corridor sending him reeling. A servant rounded the corner, dressed in the blue colours of one of the visiting kingdoms and Danny breathed a sigh of relief. Since he'd met king Eadric on the training grounds he'd been on edge; he couldn't help it. While he knew that the man wasn't the same as Pariah Dark, he couldn't help the fearful tremor that ran up his spine at the thought of him.

But there was nothing he could do. It wasn't like he could just 'go ghost' and beat the king up. First of all Eadric was firmly in the 'living' category at the moment and secondly he had no proof that the king was even planning anything. Danny didn't even know if the whole power obsession kicked in after he died, or if it was a predominant feature while Pariah was living. And that meant that he was paralysed; Arthur was working to create the future which Danny knew had to pass, and Danny didn't know how anything he did would affect that.

Sometimes coming from the future really sucked.

Danny shook his head, quelling his beating heart and assuring himself that it was gonna be okay. Merlin had an eye out and he did too. Hopefully between the two of them they'd be able to stave off whatever evil plot Eadric came up with and prevent him unravelling the future of Albion that Arthur was building. He'd fought Pariah as a ghost, one of the most powerful ghosts to have ever existed and won. Surely he could beat the man as a human if things came to a head? Plus, he was stronger now. His ghost powers had augmented themselves to the point where Danny knew he could take on pretty much anything he put his mind to.

Reassured, he pulled away from the wall and headed towards the council chambers. Once more he was supposed to be attending, at least the opening. Merlin hadn't exactly explained the specifics of the proceedings, but it sounded like all the knights and visiting dignitaries would be present for an opening ceremony of sorts before leaving the ten kings and their advisors to start the discussion over the specifics. The whole thing was scheduled to last a little over a week, with the majority of the meetings to be held in the afternoons.

Danny slid into place beside Merlin, shrinking slightly under the scrutinising gaze of two of the leaders. Somehow he'd already managed to catch the attention of Eadric, which was troubling at best. He really didn't want the future Pariah Dark on his tail, not in any way shape or form. Because even if the human Eadric had no ill intentions at all, Danny still knew that in a little over a thousand years a younger version of himself would be facing this man alone. And that was deeply unsettling.

The other person paying attention to him was Queen Annis, the Caerleon liege seemed to be surveying him, looking between him and Merlin. Danny couldn't fathom what she was thinking, but whatever it was Danny couldn't help but feel that it was a whole lot better than whatever Eadric was thinking. Danny mentally shook his head, focusing his attention on the wider room in the hopes of quelling his nervousness.

Princess Mithian glided into the room, sending a small hesitant smile in their direction, although the slight blush that appeared on Merlin's cheeks instantly told him who that was aimed at. Maybe there was some truth to Gwaine's assertion than he'd originally thought. The princess walked up to the table and took a graceful seat next to her father, poised perfectly swan like as she gazed through the room.

Danny blinked, suddenly feeling very distant from the situation. He was watching probably one of _the _most important moments in history. Standing in a room filled with legends and figures so important that their stories had passed on into myth. It was... beyond the scope of anything that Danny had ever imagined, had ever thought could exist. This was the story behind the myth, where it all came from, and he was there to see it play out before him. No matter the current danger, the sheer majesty in the room went so far beyond it that it was almost unbelievable.

Arthur stood up, the room falling to silence around him. The blonde king smiled, picking up his chalice as he gazed at the room. Danny had a strange feeling of butterflies in his stomach, a strange feeling of singularity washing over him. It was like before he went into battle, but at the same time completely not. The tension in the room was thick, like when he'd stood before the ghosts and asked them to help him defeat Pariah Dark. But at the same time it was so much more intense, more compelling. It was like time was closing in, drawing tighter and tighter around the moment when King Arthur spoke.

And when he did his voice rang with the clarity of a bell and the powerful truth of a mountain lake. His voice stirred something in Danny, deep down to his soul with the promise of hope. This was Courage speaking from the bottom of his heart, baring himself for the world to see. This was King Arthur; The Once and Future King and the greatest leader ever known to man. And Danny couldn't help but feel awed at every honeyed word that the blonde king spoke.

"For years our kingdoms have been divided," Arthur began, his voice steady and even, "torn by wars and battles for power. And yet we all seek the one goal, safety and prosperity for our lands and for our people. Five years ago the Five Kingdoms gathered together in the name of peace. King Alined, King Cathal, King Olaf, King Raegan, welcome back to Camelot. Today, we gather for a far greater goal, and I would humbly like to thank Queen Annis, King Bayard, King Eadric, King Lot and King Rodor for joining us together in the name of unity.

"Five years ago a treaty was signed, forging an alliance between five strong kingdoms. Such an alliance has not been seen since the age of the Romans and the Greeks before them. In this time the bonds between our kingdoms have grown, and a time of peace has matured between our nations. Today we celebrate this, and reaffirm these bonds.

"But today we also acknowledge new friends. Queen Annis, King Rodor, you have shown kindness to my kingdom, and I can offer you only my sincerest gratitude. King Lot, despite the troubled past between our kingdoms, you have shown yourself to be a greater king than your predecessor, working to the prosperity of your peoples. King Bayard, you have been a long and loyal ally of my kingdom, and King Eadirc, you have shown strength and dedication in bringing a near forgotten kingdom back to greatness.

"It is my belief that we all share a common purpose; the freedom of our people and the prosperity of our lands. A land united in peace and love. Today ten great kingdoms gather, and it is my hope that this heralds the dawn of a new age; one where the people of our lands live in peace, where the strength of one kingdom is the strength of them all, an age where peace overcomes war and where all men live in equality. An age of a united Albion; gathered as one. To Albion!"

Arthur's voice had risen to an empowering level, the cry quickly taken up across the room. "To Albion!" The kings and queens repeated standing from the table and raising their glasses high into the air.

"To Albion!" The knights joined in, their voices adding to the tumult of triumph in the hall.

"To Albion!" Merlin shouted from beside him, a brilliant smile playing on his lips as he joined in with the infectious shout. Danny grinned, the infectious enthusiasm bearing deep down into the depths of his core as he too was swept up in the victorious cacophony.

"To Albion!"

* * *

AN; This chapter did not want to be written. At all. I'm sorry for leaving you hanging for so long.

I'm also trying to focus back on uni work, so this is gonna have to take the backburner for a little while.

That said... I am curious as to what you thought of Arthur's speech since it was the only bit that actually wrote itself.

Translation;  
Hleówe Sehtas – Warming (sheltering) Alliances

Adieu,

Bluerose


	13. Īsiht Hliehhan

Chapter 12

Īsiht Hliehhan

Disclaimer: I do not own either Danny Phantom or Merlin

Merlin smiled despite himself, holding the torch slightly higher above his head. Danny was walking just ahead of him, practically jumping down the cold stairs that led to their chosen training ground for the evening. Technically they were still within the citadel, it would be far too suspicious for them to try and sneak out with all the extra people in Camelot at the moment, but their plan was to go somewhere that nobody else would think to look. Despite the risk inherent in actually practicing magic so close to Camelot, it was just as risky to let the younger boy go too long without using his powers.

Although Merlin admitted to himself that he was just using the excuse as a reason to have some guilt free magic practice.

The Dragon's Cave was somewhere that Merlin had planned never to go again. It held too many memories and was a tangible expression of Uther's oppression. Kilgharrah had been trapped down here for twenty years, and Merlin's inner Dragonlord still roiled at the notion of his kin kept chained and forgotten for all that time. But it was a workable place to practice, large enough to handle whatever Danny and he did while being simultaneously protected from detection by lingering superstition, left over from the long years of Kilgharrah's enslavement. Down here, in the depths of the earth where no one ever came it was safe for a creature of magic to be themselves entirely.

Merlin paused as he came to the bottom step, suddenly finding it eerie. It was too quiet; the distant echoing of dripping water was the only sound breaking the silence, save the sounds of their own movement. The steady trickle of water sounded hollow in contrast to the heavy breathing that Kilgharrah used to make, and the constant clanking of chains had always been there. Without the noise, somehow the cave felt empty, missing the familiarity that Kilgharrah's presence had always brought no matter how antagonistic their relationship became.

"You alright?" Danny asked, apparently having noticed Merlin's pause.

"Yeah." He replied, shaking his head dismissively. "It's quieter since the last time I came down here."

"I guess it would be." Danny replied. "But it's a good thing. It means Kilgharrah's free, that he's not being turned into some perversive symbol of the power of man over magic."

Merlin smiled and nodded, letting out a long breath as he stared out at the cave. The light from his torch sent flickering light over the closest stones, creating long shadows that danced in the light. He watched as Danny left the small ring of firelight, descending the staircase that led to the bottom of the cave. A small ball of white light appeared just over the boy's shoulder, radiating the strange coolness of the boy's magic.

"There's nothing down there." Merlin pointed out, calling after him as the boy's dark head sunk out of view.

"Doesn't hurt to look." Danny replied. "One of the things I've learned over the past few years is to learn as much as you can about your environment... although that might have more to do with being the target of the Ghost Zone's 'greatest hunter'"

"You aren't talking about your parents, are you?"

"Nope. Skulker's a ghost... not the smartest, but he is pretty innovative when he comes up with weapons. He likes unique things." Danny replied, his head popping up from the top of Kilgharrah's old perch. "When was the last time someone came down here?"

"Just after the dragon was released." Merlin replied. "They were looking for how he escaped. Why do you ask?"

"Some of the rocks around here look like they've been piled up by hand," Danny replied dismissively "but if you say they were looking for clues, then that makes sense."

Merlin shook his head recalling those dark days. Kilgharrah's escape had been marred by a lot of bloodshed, and much of the lower town had been reduced to rubble in the dragon's wrath. Uther, at the time, had seemed more angered by the fact that the dragon escaped than the fact that his people were being hurt. The first thing he'd done when the dragon escaped was send people down here, hoping to catch the sorcerer who'd freed him. Not that they'd found anything other than the severed chain. Merlin had left very few tracks then, and hadn't been caught for his part in freeing the dragon.

But now wasn't the time to get lost in the guilt of the past, he'd come down here for a bit of a reprieve from work in the castle, and for the opportunity to practice magic properly once more. By now Danny was sitting cross legged atop the rock pile, looking across the gap back towards Merlin's ledge.

"You're a lot smaller than the last creature of magic that sat on that perch." Merlin pointed out lightly.

"And a lot more plain spoken I'd wager." Danny replied, half smiling. "Please don't expect me to start speaking in riddles; they're more annoying than anything else."

Merlin rolled his eyes, breaking into a smile at the drab retort. "And all they do is send you looking in circles..."

"Until you look back on them and realise how it all makes sense in hindsight." Danny surmised, his eyes sparkling. "So no riddles."

"No riddles." Merlin agreed. "I was hoping to continue off where we left it the other night."

Danny frowned, looking at him askance. "About that... how many people actually speak the spells they use?"

"Most people do. It adds structure and makes it easier to focus on the spell." Merlin answered. "The language of the Old Religion provides a boundary so that a stray thought won't interfere with the spell."

"So it's not completely necessary provided you can keep focused on what you're trying to achieve?" Danny pressed.

"Not technically." Merlin confirmed, wondering what the younger boy was getting at.

"It's just..." Danny began, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. "It strikes me that in a full out duel, speaking incantations is gonna hold you back. In my experience, you need that advantage if you don't want your opponent to outmanoeuvre you. Last week I caught on pretty quickly what the spells were doing, and I imagine that someone well practiced in magic would know what you were doing."

Merlin nodded in understanding. "I noticed that, and I know that it's perhaps not the best way to go about things. I've just found that over the years my magic has intensified to the point where the spell naturally sets the boundaries. Otherwise it can quickly become... unwieldy." He frowned, realising the ramifications of his confession.

"A symptom of not being able to practice." Danny replied sympathetically. "I sort of understand... there's this one power I have that I can never use because I've never had the ability to practice it." He shook his head dismissively, although Merlin still caught the brief haunted look that passed through the younger boy's blue eyes. "So... I guess maybe the way to work on it would be to work on precision and control, see if that helps. I mean that asterix spell was powerful but... why are you laughing?"

Merlin shook his head, his lips pinched as he bit back a laugh. "I'm sorry, but 'asterix'? I think the one you're looking for 'ástríce'. It translates roughly as 'I strike'."

"With a ten tonne mallet." Danny mumbled only just loudly for Merlin to catch the sullen response. "Not the point." Danny replied more loudly. "The point is that it was probably overpowered, and I know that if I keep blasting like that myself for too long, I have nothing in reserve for later."

"Your green... ecto-blasts?" Merlin guessed, struggling to recall what the boy had called them. Danny replied with a smile and a nod and Merlin continued. "They were still pretty strong." It was true; the night they'd been out practicing for the first time Merlin had been surprised by the intensity in the boy's blows. Both of them had been protected by their own version of a shield, but even through that Merlin had felt the cold strength held in each of Danny's icy blasts. It wasn't the strongest he'd experienced, but he had been vaguely reminded of the intensity of Nimueh's blows the day she died.

"Not in comparison to what I _can_ do." Danny replied. "The difference is precision. The more focused the attack is, the more damage it'll do. A big attack can be good for overwhelming an opponent, but it's more draining than it needs to be. The first time I fired an ecto-blast it left me breathless because I was trying too hard. By concentrating the attack it delivers a similar force, but saves energy."

"You make it sound as though magic works like Gaius' dilutions." Merlin replied sceptically, crossing his arms over his chest. "It can't be bound like that, magic and nature are irrevocably intertwined, you can't constrain it and the people who try meet dire consequences. Surely you've experienced that."

"But..." Danny frowned, running a hand through his hair, looking annoyed at himself more than anything. "I know that, sometimes it's like you're just acting like a channel and all you can do is let it run its course. But at the same time..." Danny paused, frowning as he lifted a knee to sit under his chin. Merlin could see the thoughts flickering behind his blue eyes and decided to let Danny think. He took a seat, his legs swinging over the dark crevasse prom his perch on the cave ledge.

"Actually that works." Danny commented after a minute, breaking the silence that had built. "Picture your magic as like a river; the spell itself is the water that flows and your mind is what controls the river bed. If the river is broad the water moves slowly and doesn't do much. But if you narrow the river bed, force the water through a smaller path it speeds up. It's still the same spell, still the same amount of water that moves through, but by forcing it into a narrower path you conserve energy, well, so long as you can keep the river bed in place."

"And this is what you do with your powers?" Merlin pressed, looking across at the boy.

Danny shrugged. "Something similar. I worked with a different analogy, but I don't think my talking about the life cycle of stars would help you much since that sort of science won't exist for a long time. But yeah, a river works just as well."

Merlin nodded, accepting the advice for what it was. Danny was trying to help, and Merlin appreciated that. He also understood the difficulty in trying to put something like magic to words. It was almost impossible; words just didn't capture the essence of magic. So the effort was appreciated. And he was the first to admit to himself that he needed to try other things with his magic. Just because it came easily to him didn't mean it would hurt to try something new.

Danny grinned at him, blue eyes shining bright in the darkness of the cave as he seemed to sense the moment of Merlin's acceptance. "Awesome." The boy commented, showing a glimmer of smiling white teeth as he jumped across the crevasse between them and landed on the ledge beside Merlin. "Well then I guess we should set up a target and get started."

Merlin grinned, catching onto Danny's enthusiasm. It probably wasn't something Danny intended to do, nor was it particularly obvious. But there was something infectious about his sort of naive wisdom. Danny was excitable, sometimes a bit more laid back than was really necessary, but moments like this brought out a compelling sort of strength in him. It was obvious, to Merlin at least, that Danny didn't quite fit into their era, but at the same time he held himself to many of the same ideals that Arthur and his knights held themselves to. And for all their differences, Merlin couldn't help but draw on the parallels between what Danny had said of his adventures and his own.

Beside him, Danny's eyes flashed a brighter blue, and Merlin felt the cool magic that perpetually surrounded the boy surge out in front of them, morphing itself into something cold and solid. Merlin blinked as a huge circle shaped block of ice appeared atop Kilgharrah's old perch. It looked fairly similar to the targets on the training ground that Arthur used to throw daggers at, but at the same time it was made of ice, frosted over like frozen snow melt over the castle cobblestones.

"Is that ice?" Merlin asked, looking between the ice and the boy who had summoned it.

"Yeah." Danny answered with a half shrug. "Although it is ghostly ice which doesn't go away unless the ghost who made it lets it melt. So it should make a workable target to practice on."

Merlin nodded in acceptance although he was curious now about how much Danny could do in his human form. In turn that led onto the question of whether Danny would be able to use magic the same way he did, defined by the structure of spells. In a way, what Merlin had seen of the boy's ghost powers was like his own magic when he first came to Camelot, albeit much more battle practiced. The spells added boundaries to the raw nature of magic, allowing for more control, and Merlin was interested to see if it was possible for Danny, a halfa, to learn human magic.

But Danny was looking expectantly towards him, and Merlin sensed the distinct air of someone who was keen to see magic. It was strange as much as it was amusing and Merlin felt very much like he'd just been put on a stage at a Beltane feast. Gathering up his magic he focused on the target, staring at it as he let the spell form on his lips.

"_Ástríce!_" He shouted, thrusting his hand forward as the spell leapt away from him, pulling slightly on his own energy reserves as the overcharged spell soared through the air. He watched as the spell instantly traversed the small distance between him and the target, a beam of bright gold impacting heavily against the block of solid ice. There was a slight hiss as the spell touched the target, and a moment of weighted silence. The air hung in silent tension, and Merlin sensed the strange build up of nervous anticipation.

Then the target exploded, shattering outwards in every direction with the sound of shattering stone. Merlin instinctively flung up a shield, blocking the path of the falling ice as it rushed out at them. He barely felt the ice make contact though and turned his attention to the younger boy who stood by his side.

Danny was half covered in fallen snow, flecks of white dusting his shirt and fluttering down off his dark hair. Danny turned towards him, a strange sort of amusement in his eyes as he stared at Merlin. His lips twitched as though he was fighting a smile, and Merlin couldn't help but laugh. Between the larger than expected reaction and the look on Danny's face it was hard to fight back the sounds of his own mirth.

"Okay." Danny commented, nodding his head lightly. "We have a lot of work to do."

There was a brief pause, both of them looking at each other in cautious evaluation before they both burst into simultaneous laughter. Merlin couldn't help it. He'd always wanted to be able to freely practice his magic, to experience it for all it was and not just what he could glean from behind closed doors. But this was something wonderful, being able to share his magic with someone like him, both learning from each other. And while he knew that danger was always lurking, it was moments like this that made everything seem worthwhile.

* * *

Leon shook his head as he took his place in line with the other knights of Camelot. For all his life he had stood firm in his loyalty to his country and to his crown. It was a large part of how he defined himself, holding true to his loyalty and following his liege to the best of his ability. As Camelot's First Knight it was his duty to be loyal to the crown, but he served Arthur for far more than just that. There were few kings who held themselves to the high standards that Arthur did, fewer still who could remain true to their beliefs and remain uncorrupted by the horrors that they had encountered over the many years.

As a knight, Leon knew he had shared many of Arthur's most defining moments with the young king. He was one of Camelot's longest standing knights, only a few years older than Arthur, and had survived much at his king's side. During that time he'd watched as a perhaps selfishly pig-headed young prince became a true king, someone who honestly deserved the loyalty shown to him. He had stood at Arthur's side through thick and thin, through sieges and overthrows. In fact, he was probably second only to Merlin in terms of presence in the young king's life.

He was proud of his king in many respects, but this venture into uniting the kingdoms was probably what would define Arthur as a king. The world was changing, Leon knew, and he strongly suspected that the turning point had been a young, impertinent, dark haired man who had walked up to a prince and called him a bully all those years ago. Leon had a great respect for Merlin, despite his servant's status, and couldn't help but feel grateful for the role he played in showing Arthur the value of equality.

Leon smiled, looking over the tournament grounds as Merlin carried a pile of weapons towards the weapons rack. Beside him was the young boy, Danny, the two involved in such deep conversation that Leon privately wondered how they managed not to trip over anything. When the younger boy had first arrived in Camelot Leon had been wary; they were still recovering from Morgana's last coup and with the treaty talks coming up, it was worrisome to have new faces appearing in the city. If nothing else Morgana's cunning proved that treachery was omnipresent in their lives.

But Danny was a different story. He seemed to follow Merlin around like a little lost puppy and somehow managed to stay some of the manservant's less savoury moods. Leon doubted that his companions had truly noticed it, but Danny brought back some of the young boy that Merlin used to be, he was quicker to smile and more sincere in his happiness since the younger boy arrived. They were similar; there was no doubt about that. In fact, Leon was half anticipating the day that Merlin admitted that Danny was a long lost brother despite the man's claims at being an only child.

Leon bit back a laugh as Merlin tripped over, the weapons in his hands toppling clumsily out of his arms and to the ground. It seemed he wasn't the only one amused by Merlin's usual display of clumsiness, Danny seemed to let out a laugh before shuffling his own load so he could help pull Merlin up. Leon shook his head and walked on, knowing that between the two of them they'd manage to sort out Merlin's accidental mess quickly enough.

He made his way over to the tournament ground stands where the ten leaders were already seated. Eadric had mentioned the idea in passing over dinner, and all the kings had been quick to latch on. Leon was glad for it; it wasn't often that he or any of the knights had opportunity to match their skill against other people outside of life threatening circumstances. This was an opportunity for the kingdoms to display their ability on friendly terms, and from a political angle was a good way to keep the knights occupied while the various leaders spoke about treaties.

He offered a small encouraging smile to Arthur as the king glanced his way, earning him a relieved nod before Arthur turned back to his discussion with King Rodor. Leon smiled and walked over to where the other Camelot knights were preparing, pausing as Elyan looked up from his whetstone to offer him a weary smile.

"Leon." The dark skinned knight acknowledged, testing the edge of the blade and standing up. "So what do you think of all this."

"It's wise." Leon replied, scanning over the visiting knights as they gathered in their own kingdom's bright colours. "It will keep the visiting knights out of trouble and give an entertaining balance to the treaty talks."

"Should be a bit of fun." Gwaine's voice called out, carrying loudly across the sounds of sharpening steel and thudding armour. Leon found himself having to brace as the dark haired knight slung a heavy arm around his shoulder. He shrugged it off, sending a reprimanding glance towards the younger knight.

"This is an opportunity to represent the kingdom, Gwaine," Leon pointed out "and is no less serious than when we ride into battle."

Gwaine grinned "But the purpose is to demonstrate our skill, and I plan to do just that."

"Don't get cocky, Gwaine." Elyan added, leaning slightly on his sword. "The point of this is to show unity, not go off seeking our own glory."

"My dear Elyan I'm wounded." Gwaine replied, putting an exaggerated hand to his chest. "In an environment like this private glory is all in Arthur's name. When we win we help prove that the ideals our monarch proposes are the strongest in the land."

"And he managed to say that with a straight face." A fourth voice cut in, and Leon smiled as he saw the impish face of Danny pop up beside Elyan. His arms were still full of an assortment of weapons, but he quickly set them aside among the collection of swords and maces already gathered. "I'm surprised."

Leon's lips twitched as he fought to hold back a laugh, and the dark skinned knight opposite him let out a muffled chortle. Gwaine huffed, blowing a strand of hair out of his face before shaking his head and picking up one of the maces that Danny had just brought over. "I should probably tell you to try and behave." Leon added, "But I know that's unlikely. Just don't bring too much undue attention to Camelot please Gwaine."

"Oh I won't." Gwain swore, swinging his mace so it sat lighly on his shoulder. "Actually, that reminds me. I may have let on to King Eadric that Danny here is a page-come-squire type person, so if there's any squirey things you need done just ask him."

"Hey!" Danny groused. "I did not sign up for that. I distinctly remember not signing up for that when Arthur asked about it."

"And you didn't keep up with that deal either, so this is your punishment." Gwaine retorted.

"Do I want to know?" Leon mumbled to Elyan with a raised eyebrow.

"Gwaine tried to corral Danny into watching Merlin about Mithian, but Arthur caught us before he could say yes." Elyan explained in a quiet murmur as both of them watched Gwaine and the younger boy bicker. It ended with Gwaine catching Danny and rubbing his knuckles hard into his raven hair, leaving the boy scowling when he was released. Leon shook his head emphatically at the display, amused at their antics.

However there was no more time for comments as a trumpet thrilled, calling all knights to stand in the centre of the tournament grounds. Leon smiled as he pulled Gwaine away, guiding him to the line of Camelot red that was gathering at the left of the field. Leon's gaze lifted briefly up into the stands, his eyes settling on the box where all the kings were seated. The ten leaders sat side by side, shoulder, but somehow Arthur stood out among them. The sun shifted slightly, settling just enough to turn the king's blonde hair into a shining crown of gold. Leon smiled, shaking his head slightly at the thought.

Many years ago, when he'd first started hearing the first hints of Arthur's plans for uniting the kingdoms he'd dismissed them as a foolish ideal. He was _loyal_ to Arthur; he had known that even then. But the young man, then only a prince, would hardly have been able to inspire anyone to anything. The kingdoms all served their own ends and any desire for unity was doomed to fail unless it was in the form of an absolute conquering and subsequent demoralisation of all the peoples. But as he took his stand amongst the other knights, a rainbow of colours from each of ten individual kingdoms, he couldn't help but be amazed at how much Arthur had achieved. Arthur was single handedly bringing them all together, spearheading a time of peace that Leon himself had only dreamed could ever exist.

A smile flitted onto his face as he gazed up at the eyes of his king. Arthur spoke majestic words as he declared the tournament open, and Leon could hear the pride and enthusiasm that laced every word. He had always known that he would do anything for his king, fight through fierce sieges and endured the worst forms of personal humiliation in his name. But it was times like these that he could see the true reason why. There was something about Arthur that was far greater than just one man, greater than a man or a prince or a king. Something beyond comprehension. It had always been there, a small ember waiting in the fireplace. But now it was burning bright for the entire world to see.

Almost intuitively Leon's eyes slid sideways, just beyond Arthur's shoulders to the ever present dark head of Merlin. The king's manservant had always been there for Arthur, and Leon couldn't help but feel grateful to the younger man. Albeit uncredited, Merlin was something intrinsic to Camelot, the steady hand that simultaneously managed to encourage the king and keep his ego in check. Merlin had always been the one that caught Arthur when he was falling and spurred him onwards. Even if it wasn't conventional, the strange dynamic between Merlin and the young king was no doubt responsible for all of this.

And that was what was so endearing about it.

Arthur and Merlin bickered more than a married couple, but they worked together. Merlin was entrusted in councils to which no servant had ever been permitted before, allowed knowledge far beyond his station. But it had never seemed important. Not really. Merlin was willing to go above and beyond the call of duty for his king, something which Leon knew all too well. And so in his heart Leon knew he would always allow Merlin his societal transgressions; Arthur was a better king for them.

Leon frowned, following the gaze of the dark haired young man. Usually Merlin's focus was on Arthur, even if he wasn't following orders the man was usually attentive towards the young king. But Merlin was entirely focused on one of the other kings, a dark look turning his eyes to steel. Leon fought to suppress the concern in his chest, struggling to dismiss it as paranoia. As he watched Merlin's eyes shifted once more, fixing on a point just beyond the tournament grounds.

Frowning, Leon followed his gaze, watching what seemed to be a silent conversation between Merlin and his ward. Merlin's lips pressed in a frown, his eyes creased in concern. And from the opposite side of the tournament grounds Danny frowned, shaking his head ever so slightly. The boy shifted uncomfortably, as though annoyed about something that he couldn't change. The boy's eyes flicked briefly to one of the knights, but it was back on Merlin before Leon could find who he was looking at. Leon lost track of Arthur's speech, his attention focused entirely focused entirely on the unspoken conversation between the two dark haired young men. It was only when the crowd launched into applause that Leon realised that he had to move.

But he couldn't help the small inklings of concern that sank into his stomach. Not when Merlin looked away from his ward with a barely concealed frown and when Leon saw a look of confused look of defeat flitter across young Danny's face.

Suspicion wasn't something he'd ever been familiar with. And his first duty was to Arthur in all things. So he would watch and wait, and entrust that whatever it was that Merlin and his ward thought they saw would not damage all that Arthur was trying to achieve.

Leon bowed his head as he moved back to the tented area, awaiting his first contest. As he moved he settled a brief comforting hand on Danny's shoulder, parting without a word. He knew that Merlin often saw more than the knights did, his role as a servant allowed him more liberties than was ever truly acknowledged. He was often the first to notice things that warranted concern and helped solve problems before they became too big – if he could convince Arthur to listen to him. But through Arthur this bettered the people in such subtle ways that it wasn't noticeable. And in this, Merlin, through Danny, had Leon's full support.

* * *

Eadric smirked as he watched the proceedings from his seat up in the stands. It had been an inspired move to make the suggestion for a minor tournament to entertain the knights over dinner. Arthur, being the thrill seeking man that he was, had leapt onto it and had quickly convinced the other kings and queen of the brilliance of the idea. Eadric was more than pleased, knowing that the element of slight chaos in the tournament would allow his pet sorcerer to gather the final ingredients needed for his magic.

His clapped in false enthusiasm as the fifth bout was brought to a quick end. The blue clad defeated knight bowed in acknowledgement as the winner helped him back to his feet. The crowd cheered as the victor raised his arms and twirled his sword before proceeding back into the waiting area. Eadric had hardly watched, knowing that the competitions between the lesser kingdoms were of little import. To his mind all that mattered were the competitions between Daobeth black and Camelot red.

His grin widened as he watched Killian take to the field, a swirl of black billowing around him as he bowed deeply to the enthusiastic crowd. The man's opponent was the big tall Camelot knight, somewhat reminiscent of a bear. Eadric almost laughed at the man's foolishness; the man had come into the match with sleeveless chain mail. It was as though he was asking for trouble, or overconfident. Unfortunately the man's hair was short, making it necessary that Killian draw blood from this particular opponent.

Eadric sat down in his seat as the fight began, watching intently as the two exchanged blows. The Camelot man was large and strong; Killian did not have the brute force necessary to combat some of the harder blows. But Killian was faster, and Eadric clapped with the crowd as Killian dove through a brief break in the taller man's defences. It wasn't much, but it was just enough to raise a cut on the larger man's left arm.

He fought to conceal the lustful grin on his face as he caught sight of the blood on Killian's blade. The outcome of the fight hardly mattered at this point; his pet sorcerer had already won where it counted. Eadric cheered with the crowd as the fight picked up, swords clashing with brute ferocity as the tall bear of a man fought back. There was a tense gasp as Killian feinted, an echoing silence hushing the tournament grounds. But the taller knight was not dissuaded, pushing through the hazel eyed man's defences and putting the tip of his sword to the man's throat. The crowd roared in enthusiasm as Camelot came out successful in this round.

"Quite the fighter you have there." Eadric commented lightly, gesturing down towards the grounds.

The blonde haired man smiled, his blue eyes lit in enthusiastic naivety. "Sir Percival has more than earned his title." The young king replied.

"I find it surprising that you find this level of skill from such lowly stock." Eadric pointed out, looking down at the small sea of tents on the edge of the tournament grounds. A number of red clad knights were milling around waiting for their own contests. Few of them came from noble stock, in fact it was said that there was only one noble's son in Arthur's inner circle. Eadric had yet to determine if this showed foresight on the young kings part, or outright folly. But it hardly mattered in the end.

"If there's one thing I've learned over these past years," Arthur replied still smiling. "It's that all men have worth. Sometimes all you need to do is afford them the opportunity to show it."

"Well said." Eadric replied, schooling his face into one of light hearted enthusiasm. In the end it didn't matter; he was going to bring this kingdom down stone by stone for the king's weakness. But for now the facade was still necessary, so he joined in enthused conversation with the other dignitaries as they settled in for the next bout.

Briefly his eyes secreted across the field, down to his First Knight. Eadric nodded at him, a secretive smirk concealed in his darkened hazel eyes. The knights of Camelot may be strong, they may well be worth the renown that they were heralded with. But it would ultimately come to nothing. All the physical strength in the world was meaningless against an adversary such as magic, and Eadric had no compunction against using any form of power to reach his ends.

Killian slunk off the field, shrugging his black cloak back on. Eadric's eyes followed him subtly, knowing that he would need to talk to his pet sorcerer before the treaty talks began again. He frowned slightly, seeing the oily haired man pause beside one of the Camelot knights. The man was dark skinned and hunched over a whetstone, assisted by the strange young boy he'd seen fight the day before. From what he'd understood, the boy was somewhere between a page and a squire and thus shouldn't warrant any attention.

But Eadric was always looking for new ways to assert his power, and the boy showed promise. At his age he would be easily persuaded, malleable. Perhaps he could be convinced to see things his way in the aftermath; after all, there was no need to spill the blood of someone not yet sworn to Arthur. The dark haired young boy showed remarkable skill against a fully trained knight, and used a fighting style that was both versatile and fluid. It was likely, just from the way the boy fought, that he had some experience in defending himself against magic, and that was always a valuable asset.

A cold smirk plucked its way onto his lips as he watched Killian stalk away. Plans could be adjusted, refined to perfection. And Eadric lusted at the thought of leaving Camelot with one of Camelot's young fighters to claim as his own. He joined in the applause as two new knights took to the field, settling in with the appreciated hush as the fight begun. His machinations were moving along perfectly; Killian had found the dragon's scale and was working to collect the final tokens for his magical totems. All Eadric needed to do now was watch and wait.

And perhaps determine a way to _persuade_ a young dark haired boy to his side.

* * *

AN; Hey! *subs neck embarrassedly*So I know it's not brilliant... but Leon is surprisingly hard to write. And I'm supposed to be working on an essay or three. But anyway...

Translations;  
Īsiht Hliehhan – Icy Laugh

Love you lots, and thanks to everyone who's been so patient and kind in your reviews.

See you next time,

Bluerose


	14. Scimerian Bæl

Chapter 13

Scimerian Bæl

Disclaimer: I do not own either Danny Phantom or Merlin

Danny scowled, frowning as much as he could as he padded through the bustling corridors of Camelot. He was very much unhappy with the current situation, but Merlin wouldn't be persuaded. He let out a deep breath as he stared down the cold stone staircase, noting how very much bigger it was all of a sudden. Steadying himself he jumped down, scarcely maintaining his balance as he practically tumbled down the spiralling staircase and out into the main courtyard. He shook his head, slightly dazed from this new standpoint as he cautiously made his way across the main courtyard and up the staircase that led into the main castle.

He paused as he mounted the top step, gazing down miserably as his foot – paw – sunk into a puddle of water. He stared dejectedly into the reflective water, half willing the image to go away even though he knew it wouldn't. Merlin was counting on him, and hadn't really give him the opportunity to say no before the warlock had let his magic take hold. Like the first time out in the woods Danny had felt a strange shimmer settle over his skin before his stomach lurched and a new set of instincts overrode his mindset. He shook his head sadly at the image reflected back at him, bearing half a mind to paw at the reflection just to make it go away.

But that wouldn't change the fact that he was currently staring into the face of a blue eyed black cat.

He made a handsome cat as far as it went; solid black aside from the white socks that surrounded his paws. And his eyes were still his own shade of icy blue, just shaped differently. He couldn't quite get used to the ears though, or the tail.

It was weird.

And it was _uncomfortable_. He could feel Merlin's magic pulsing through his veins, beating and full of that strange warmth that was so overpowering that it drove him to distraction. It wasn't quite unbearable, at least not yet. But having warmth pumping through his veins – let alone the tendrils of golden fire that were Merlin's magic – was something he'd virtually lost around the same time he'd gained his cold core. And the fact that Merlin's magic was confining him to this shape was irritating. He'd barely been a squirrel for five minutes before he'd changed himself back, but he couldn't exactly do that here what with how many people were bustling around him.

Danny sneezed, scrunching up his eyes and shaking his head before plodding onwards. His tail flicked distractingly behind him, catching in his peripheral vision like a foreign shadow. The main entrance was always large, but from this angle it looked huge and it made him want to run back to Gaius' chambers so he could safely switch back to the comfort of his human form. Usually he didn't mind facing things bigger than him; ghosts frequently used size as an intimidation tactic. But usually he could use his ghost powers, and he got the distinct impression that a 'magic' wielding cat would go down about as well as finding a sorcerer.

Danny stuck to the walls, using the cold grey stones to afford him a little extra protection as he ducked into a side corridor. The pads on his paws tapped softly against the floor as he padded towards a small staircase. His nose twitched, picking up the chilly scent of metal as a blue clad knight in heavy chainmail walked by, his heavy footsteps sending vibrations that he felt all the way to his core. Danny flicked his tail distractedly, trying not to be concerned with how much the animal instincts were already melding with his own.

Instead he plucked up his courage and jumped up the staircase, making his way cautiously towards the guest wing. It probably would have been easier if he'd just snuck through the castle invisibly, rather than resort to being turned into a cat, but apparently ghost powers weren't good enough from the warlock's point of view. It was Danny's own fault, really; encouraging Merlin to extend himself with his magic. And now he was stuck wandering around the castle on four paws because that was really the best way to investigate things without being caught in the act. He even sounded sarcastic in his own head.

Danny shook his head once more, triangular ears flattening slightly as he dodged around a dark clad pair of legs and ducked around a corner. His nose twitched as he picked up a strange scent, tickling the back of his nostrils as he moved through the corridor past various guest rooms. A barrage of overwhelming scents met him, the intermingling bodily smell of too many people gathered in the one place. It was like stepping into the boy's locker room in Casper high after the jocks had decided to have a spray deodorant fight; the slightly cloying smell of sweat and synthetic fragrances that mingled together to make a repulsively gagging odour. Then again, since all his senses currently seemed to be working in overdrive, that was probably to be expected.

Although it was another reason to add to the growing list to never let Merlin turn him into a cat ever again.

Danny paused out the front of a large pair of heavy brown doors. As a human he'd have gone through them easily. And he knew the layout of the room behind them by heart, since he'd had to take luggage up to the rooms for the Daobethan delegation under a week before. The problem was that at the moment his eye line was under a foot off the floor and the doors seemed to stretch endlessly up above him. Even stretched to his full length he wouldn't be able to reach the handle, let alone try to force the doors open.

The distinct lack of opposable thumbs on his paws didn't help either.

He looked helplessly down the corridor, seeing a number of servants milling around as their masters and mistresses gradually left their rooms. None of them seemed to notice him, but he doubted he could get away with pulling an intangibility trick to slip through the doors. The castle cats might generally pass unnoticed, but he was pretty sure a cat using 'magic' wouldn't go undetected. It was frustrating, especially because in either of his own natural forms he probably could have done this so much easier.

Danny drew back as the door before him came open, sliding back into the shadows as a black cloak swished past. He hid as best he could as the heavy footsteps paced down the hallway before darting through the open door before it had a chance to swing closed. He let out a tense breath as the solid click sounded behind him, realising just how much his hackles had risen – and _wow_ did it feel strange to think that literally – as his breath evened out. There was still something really off putting about the fact that _Pariah Dark _was in the same castle as him. More so was the fact that occasionally the man seemed to be watching him, almost like the talent scouts studied the football players back at school.

When his heartbeat had slowed down to something manageable he looked around. The room was mostly the same as it had been when he'd dropped off the trunk earlier in the week, although it was hard to tell for sure from this angle. Putting his cat's nose to work he sniffed around, struggling to restrain the growing instinct to mark the place as his. When he got back to their room he was going to have to ask Merlin to fully explain that spell, especially since the cat-like instincts seemed to be growing the longer he stayed on four paws. Hurriedly he got to work, sniffling through the room in the hope that he could find anything useful.

The trunk Danny had carried up was placed at the foot of the bed, heavily covered with the thick scent of the man who'd just walked out of the room. Danny had only really caught a whiff of it as the man passed out the door, but it lingered at the back of his nose unpleasantly. However it wasn't the only scent in the room; there was a whiff of dirt and subtle sweat that he immediately attributed to the servants, and another, stronger one that had a strangely metallic undertone. It wasn't Pariah's – Eadric's – but it had such similar notes to it that it probably belonged to Eadric's knight and advisor. Danny hadn't paid much notice to the man, didn't even know his name, although now he realised he should learn it.

Danny followed the scent around the room, trying to figure out if there was anything amiss. The scent was strongest around the table, and Danny was halfway through rubbing his cheek against the table leg when he caught what he was doing and stopped himself from marking anything in Eadric's rooms.

Yep, he was _definitely _asking Merlin about the specifics of that spell.

Danny shook his head, forcing his mind back on task as he followed the scent over to the large wardrobe. The doors were shut, but Danny sensed something strange emanating out from behind the closed wooden panelling. Danny scowled at the piece of furniture, irritated that two pieces of wood kept him completely out when his thumbs were taken away. But he wasn't just a cat, and this room was completely empty.

Without a second thought Danny jumped up, phasing through the wooden wardrobe doors without fear of being caught. Inside it was dark and he quickly coiled his tail around himself for lack of space. The strange something was much stronger now, to the point where Danny couldn't tell if he was really smelling it or feeling it in the depths of his soul. His eyesight was unhindered by the dark, although he didn't know whether to attribute that to his ghost genes or his recently cat eyes. He sniffed hesitantly, nosing through the bottom of the wardrobe until he found a small silvery box. It looked ornate, decorative runes were etched onto the sides, but he couldn't discern their meaning.

Gently he worried off the lid, gently pressing his paws against it until the silver top slid away. Instantly he drew back as a surge of warm energy raced past him. It didn't seem to affect anything other than him though, and Danny quickly realised that it was his cold core reacting to the strange heat source. His eyes instantly fixed on a golden scale, taking a moment to place the energy that surrounded it as draconic magic. That scale had belonged to a dragon, and was far more recent than the muted whispers that came off the scale Gwaine wore on his necklace.

This one still oozed fiery energy, and it took far too long for Danny to remove his eyes from the golden scale and focus on the other things in the box. His eyes creased in confusion as he studied the other contents, trying to figure what they had in common. There was a lock of brown hair and two small vials of red that could have been blood. He knew that lovers sometimes gave each other a lock of hair as a token for when they were separated, but Danny really doubted that either Eadric or his knight had a lover secreted away back in Daobeth.

He didn't think Pariah Dark was even capable of love, so it stood to reason that the man who preceded his ghost was the same.

But that still left the question of what _anything _in the little box was for. The dragon scale was obviously magic, but that didn't have to mean anything. According to Merlin it was common for people to carry certain magical objects without realising what they were. Certainly nobody had ever noticed that the sigil on Gwaine's necklace was really a dragon scale; although Danny knew better than to ask about it. He didn't know what anyone would actually do with a dragon scale, it seemed as redundant as a ship in a bottle to him. His own experience of ghost powers said that people couldn't use it; you couldn't just pick up a glob of leftover ectoplasm and turn it against ghosts. And he doubted that a dragon scale was any different.

Danny let out a rumbling sigh as he struggled to put the lid back in place. All he could do was report back to Merlin and try to figure out what was going on. In a way it was harder than anything he was used to. Ghosts had simple motives, and figuring out their obsession pretty much meant that he could figure out what their next move would be. But that didn't translate across onto humans, or magic. The lid back in place he phased out of the wardrobe, landing easily on the floor and crossing the chamber.

He froze; his eyes wide as the door opened. Danny quickly raced across the room and threw himself under the bed as a hiding place. He heard movement, someone bustling quietly around the chambers. He withdrew further under the bed, hoping desperately that he wouldn't be caught. Whoever it was moved throughout the whole space, their footsteps echoing lightly off the walls. It didn't sound like Eadric or his knight either. But he didn't know who it was and he couldn't see anything from his vantage point. He settled down, curling around himself as he prepared to wait out whoever it was that had come into Pariah's guest chambers. It wasn't such a bad place to be hiding. In fact it was quite comfortable with the bottom of the bed hanging protectively over him.

Danny let out a wide yawn, sharp pointed teeth bared as a wave of tiredness washed over him. He felt nice and cosy here, and the warmth of Merlin's magic seemed to be settling nicely. It wasn't overbearing now, just warm enough to make him feel fuzzy and dozy. He wet his lips, settling down comfortably with his chin resting on his paws. He'd just keep an ear out until he was alone and then sneak out when nobody was looking. His eyes flickered closed and he let out a contented purr, the vibration rolling comfortably through his chest as he settled down in wait. His tail twitched lightly as he settled down, feeling happy and comfortable and sleepy as he lay in wait.

"Oh," a loud voice called, and Danny jerked violently as he saw a worn face peek under the bed. "What are you doing under there?"

Danny blinked dazedly, taking a moment to place the face as one of the servants who worked in the castle. She was youngish, probably around his age, but her face was already worn by years of hard work. Duana – _"but call me Anna"_ – had helped him out that first week when he was struggling to adapt to being in Camelot. Danny probably wouldn't even have noticed her if it weren't for her going out of the way to help him out.

"Here kitty." Anna called, rubbing her fingers in his direction in an attempt to tease him from out under the bed. "Come out now." And before he knew what was happening he was being tugged out from his cosy hiding spot and out. He let out a plaintive meow that seemed to elicit a smile from the girl as she picked him up and carried him across the room. She pushed the door open one handedly and set him firmly down outside the chamber doors.

"Off you go now, kitty." She commanded, looking sternly down at him. "King Eadric wouldn't be best pleased to find you in there. And I'm sure a handsome cat like you can find a nice yummy mouse for lunch." She nudged him gently with the side of her foot. Danny looked up at her briefly, mourning the loss of his comfy sleeping place as the girl shook her head at him. "Go along," she urged. "Shoo."

Danny sunk his head and plodded off, feeling strangely dejected for having been caught out. His paws felt cold against the stone floor as he wound his way back through the castle, aiming back towards the relative safety of the physician's chambers. Judging by the angle of the shadows coming through the windows he'd lost more time than he'd planned on. He'd planned on just waiting for the room to empty and instead had fallen solidly asleep. He _never_ wanted to be a cat again. Ever.

Such was his distraction that he didn't notice a dark shadow fall over him. A startled mewl escaped his lungs as two solid arms wrapped around him and lifted him bodily into the air. Danny struggled helplessly for a moment, but flopped helplessly when he realised that his captor's grip was too tight. A small meow escaped him as he looked up into a pleased smirking face.

He sent a silent curse at Merlin for even thinking of turning him into a cat in the first place.

* * *

Arthur yawned, barely concealing his widened mouth behind his hand as Merlin bustled around him. It had been a long day, and the talks had broken for an hour before returning to continue the discussion later in the afternoon. At the moment they were still dealing with treaty lines and some of the smaller land concessions. Lot wanted to claim a couple of villages near the Camelot borderline in the south-east, and Annis wanted to withdraw some of her lands to the west. It was all proving to be very complicated, and those were only the disputes most related to Camelot. With ten kingdoms all bargaining and discussing boundary lines like this, it was all Arthur could to follow, let alone lead the discussions.

The addition of a tournament to the schedule was a factor that he hadn't originally planned on, and made the discussions that bit more involved on his part. Not to say that he didn't enjoy it and it did add a valuable break to constant discussions about the complexities of the treaty, but arranging such a thing at short notice was havoc to an already overworked staff.

"You look like you're about to doze off." A half amused voice commented, disturbing Arthur from his musings as he looked into the annoyingly cheerful face of his manservant.

"Well we can't all be layabouts like you, _Mer_lin." Arthur retorted, sending the dark haired man a scowl.

Merlin frowned briefly before breaking into a wide grin. "I'll take that as a compliment." He grinned. "Just because you don't see anything happening doesn't mean that it isn't, and since I have got everything running so smoothly you don't even notice, it seems like I actually have less to worry about than usual."

"I think you need to check your logic." Arthur returned. "You see, having things running so efficiently that I don't even notice would suggest that you were actually being helpful, rather than standing around uselessly when there's still work to be done."

"Everything is done." Merlin dryly reported his eyes hastily scanning the chambers before nodding assuredly to himself.

"Really?" Arthur pressed, raising a sceptical eyebrow. "The chambers are moderately tidy, yes, but have you...?"

"Walked your dogs?" Merlin rudely interrupted. "Yes"

"Mucked..."

"Out the stables, done." Merlin confirmed, the beginnings of a smile working onto his face.

"Polished..." Arthur continued, trying to catch Merlin out.

"Your armour, done twice, and the spare mail as well." That smile widened insubordinately.

"Sharpened..." Arthur asked, knowing that something had to be left out. Merlin had never completed all his tasks early, not in the entire time he'd had the man as his manservant. And the smug grin growing on the man's face was just begging to be cut down.

"Your sword and your dagger set." Merlin beamed. "The ceremonial sword is polished and ready and your practice sword is oiled and awaiting its next use. I also took the liberty of polishing your boots, washing out your feast clothes and repairing the wear on your ceremonial cloak. I read over your speech for tomorrow, I think you meant 'first strides towards equality' in the second paragraph though, and have alerted the knights for your plans for lunch."

Arthur blinked for a moment, temporarily stunned. It took a moment for him to get back in stride after Merlin's surprising bout of competence. "Well done, _Mer_lin." He commented, allowing an element of dry sarcasm to sneak into his voice. "It's only taken seven years and gaining a second shadow for you to finally become a half-decent manservant. Tell me, how much of that list did you relegate to your young ward?"

Merlin mumbled something about stables and dogs, and armour. Arthur barely managed to conceal the smile that threatened to grow on his lips. "I see." He added, keeping his voice even. "Well, _Mer_lin. If Daniel keeps this up you may just find yourself out of a job. It seems he is far more efficient than you at this, maybe I should promote him; he can be your keeper."

Arthur grinned at Merlin's stunned face, watching as the younger man's mouth opened and closed twice in complete disbelief. He wasn't being serious, of course, and both of them knew that. Merlin meant far more to him than just his job as manservant. Not that he would ever say it, but Merlin was irreplaceable, and nothing would change that.

Merlin broke into a grin after a minute, his blue eyes lit with delight. "Well, if that's what you really want, _sire_, I shall of course step aside. Although I'm not sure how long he'd be able to put up with your prattishness before he decided to about face." Merlin paused considering. "Actually he'd probably last two days before defecting to Gwaine and then you'd be stuck with George. Not that I'd mind having a break, could go back to Ealdor and visit mother for a short while, or attend to Gaius properly, you know, since I was supposed to be his apprentice in the first place, and really..."

"Merlin." Arthur interrupted, entertaining though Merlin's rambling might be, it did become circular if he let the young man go unchecked.

"Shut up?" Merlin guessed, that wry, irritatingly knowing smile creeping back onto the man's face.

"Exactly." Arthur affirmed. Merlin hadn't won their little argument, he never did. Arthur simply chose to close the discussion pre-emptively before the dark haired man could dig himself into an even deeper hole. "The talks will resume within the half hour, I expect you to attend me."

"Like I've been doing the entire time?" Merlin rudely interrupted as the two walked out of his chambers. Arthur chose not to acknowledge that comment. It was almost unusual how attentive Merlin had been during the last few days. Usually when they had foreign dignitaries visiting he seemed to become strangely distracted, either that or obnoxiously clingy like he had the previous year during Mithian's first visit. This time he'd been dutiful, but not objectionably so. It was possible that Merlin had simply decided to pull up his socks, but part of Arthur suspected that Merlin's current behaviour was more due to the presence of a ward to take under his wings. And Arthur chose to take that as proof that giving Merlin a ward was a good way of teaching the man responsibility. He should have thought of it years ago.

"Where is your young ward up to now?" He asked, glancing across at the younger man. Like always Merlin walked right beside him, like an equal, rather than behind him like any dutiful manservant.

"Settling in." Merlin replied, although Arthur could have sworn he heard a hint of deflection in that answer. He sent an inquiring look at Merlin as they continued walking towards the council chambers. "He misses his home, I think." Merlin continued. "But at the same time he seems to be finding Camelot welcoming. He fits in with the knights, and I know Gwaine wants to take him on as a squire."

"He's not the only one." Arthur noted. "Percival and Elyan have both commented, and Leon has suggested as much as well."

"He's had a rough past." Merlin supplied. "From what he's told his home was victim to a large number of assailants, he had to learn how to defend himself and, more than that, what was worth fighting for."

"He's too young for that sort of life." Arthur rejected, frowning in distaste. His childhood hadn't been the best, his father cold and distant while ensuring he learned how to be both prince and first knight. But he'd been safe. Camelot had always been a safe haven for him, and he'd been well prepared for the day when he finally had to face that the world was darker than the portrait his father had painted for him. He had grown up seeing sorcerers killed, but they were all evil and didn't count. He'd been nearing his eighteenth year before he'd had to see that everyday people could be truly evil too.

"He's not that much younger than us, Arthur." Merlin replied "He is seventeen."

"And he shouldn't have been forced to grow up so fast." Arthur replied wearily. "You may not see it, oblivious as you are to the ways of warriors, but he is always on his guard. You don't get to be able to fend off knights the way he can by chance, it takes years to learn. It takes a lot to be able to combat any of the knights, more so to impress them and he's done that. It is worrying that he fights so well for his age."

"You did." Merlin pointed out dryly.

"I have been trained to kill since birth, as is befitting the son of a king." Arthur retorted, irritation flaring at the jab. "Leon, a noble's son, started training as a page at seven, and was a squire before he even came close to having that kind of skill. It wasn't until his third year of knighthood before he was able to fight with the deliberate intention that Daniel does, as is the same for many of the noble's sons who become knights."

Merlin frowned beside him. "That doesn't have to mean anything." Merlin supplied. "Danny comes from a different place; they have different customs and probably different expectations. And Danny isn't a noble either, life is a less sheltered for the lower classes."

"I know." Arthur replied. "It is all the more reason to want to change things. A united Albion would mean that people like Daniel weren't forced to grow up fast. A kingdom should protect all its people, not just the nobles, and it's the king's responsibility to ensure this."

"That's what you're doing now, Arthur." Merlin assured. "You're building that kingdom, that world. Already your people are happier and safer than they ever have been before, and it's all because you care so deeply for every one of them."

Arthur paused, looking briefly at Merlin. It wasn't often that the man offered words of encouragement like this; their relationship wasn't really about that. But hearing the words from the man sent a wave of warmth down his spine, and the smile on Merlin's face made it even better. The man always seemed to know just what to say when he needed to hear it, although he would deny that to the last out loud. It was just one of those irreplaceable things about the young man that made him so endearing, and made him willing to look over the many social transgressions and societal blunders that the man made as his manservant.

He was saved having to respond when a familiar figure rounded the hallway. The red Camelot hung cleanly over his broad shoulders, and rakish brown eyes glimmered cheerfully beneath untameable brown hair. Gwaine was one of those people that pulled attention, no matter where he was. Predictably the man was eating an apple, although it was always a puzzle as to where the man found his seemingly endless supply of his favourite fruit. That wasn't the surprising thing about him. What was unusual was the ball of black fluff that was entrapped in the man's right arm.

"You have a cat." Arthur pointed out bluntly, sending a querying glance in the knight's direction. The cat was mostly black except for its four white socked paws, nestled snugly into Gwaine's arm. By the looks it had given up hope of escaping, given the strangely defeated look of its scrawny frame.

"Yes." Gwaine answered, rather insufficiently as he stuffed the finished apple core into a deep pocket.

"Why do you have a cat?" Arthur pressed, simultaneously curious and desperate not to know. Gwaine had a strange sense of humour, and there was a wicked glint in his brown eyes as he rubbed a hand behind the cat's black ears. Briefly the cat looked up, startlingly blue eyes fixing on the knight with a strange almost scowling expression. If cats could scowl that is.

"Why not?" Gwaine replied. "It was just wandering in the halls, and I have need of a mouser."

Arthur shook his head tiredly. "Somehow I doubt that you intend to use him as a mouser." He emitted. "Whatever it is, just keep it out of the way."

"Oh don't worry, Princess. I fully intend to... mostly." Gwaine replied, smirking. "Speaking of out of the way, what have you done with our young Danny, Merlin? Merlin?"

Arthur frowned, looking at his manservant, who currently seemed to be having a staring competition with the cat. The cat stared back at Merlin, unblinking, with an oddly irritated look in its too bright blue eyes. Merlin seemed happy to continue his little staring competition, proving once more how simple minded he was. Honestly, only _Merlin _would consider getting into a staring contest with a cat a worthwhile occupation.

What was disturbing was that it was the cat that ended it, fidgeting in Gwaine's arms until the man was forced to grab onto the little beast with both hands. The animal's black tail flicked in irritation until it was half wrapped around Gwaine's arm, the man settling it with a calming scratch behind black ears.

Merlin blinked, as though suddenly realising where he was and shuffling awkwardly. "You back from playing with the fairies _Mer_lin?" Arthur asked teasingly.

"What?" The man replied, his eyes confused.

"We were just asking what you've done with Danny." Gwaine repeated, offering the manservant a helpful hint that Arthur would have refused him. On principle, of course. Merlin needed to be attentive, not be coddled over everything.

"Danny?" Merlin asked, his eyes darting briefly to the cat before looking up at Gwaine.

"Yes, Danny." Gwaine responded patiently. "You know the one, tall, dark hair, looks a lot like you but without a bizarre attraction to neckerchiefs."

"He's not here." Merlin replied disconnectedly, his eyes darting back to the cat. "He's off... picking herbs..." The cat looked at them briefly, and Arthur could have sworn the animal was smirking at the raven haired man.

"Picking herbs?" Arthur sceptically questioned, immediately picking up on one of Merlin's usual excuses for failing in his duties. He lifted his gaze away from the cat's strangely intelligent eyes to fix a stern glare at the young man. "You'd better not be teaching him bad habits Merlin. The purpose of letting you have a ward was so that you'd learn to be responsible, not encourage the boy to spend all day in the tavern like you do."

Gwaine issued a brief snort, but Arthur's attention turned briefly to the cat which seemed to exude appalled shock. It was as though the animal could understand everything they were saying... and Arthur didn't even want to follow that train of thought. Cats were cats; they made good mousers and attracted the attention of the sometimes too doting court ladies. Instead he turned his focus back to his manservant, whose mouth hung open dumbfounded.

"Come, Merlin." Arthur insisted. "I won't let you or your apparently absentee ward run us any later. Gwaine, whatever it is you're planning, please do keep it away from the guests. And don't hurt that animal too much. You know how Merlin gets about cute and cuddly little things and I don't want to be dealing with a stroppy manservant for the next few weeks."

Gwaine sent them a salute before turning back through the corridor. "Oh," The man commented, just as he was about to turn around. "Merlin, if you do see Danny, please send him my way. I have a... surprise lined up for him."

And then he was gone, Arthur just shook his head tiredly, feeling that it was too late in the afternoon to be dealing with Gwaine's antics. Unfortunately he still had several hours of treaty talk ahead of him, and an apparently distracted manservant as company until he got there. Merlin was silent the rest of the way to the council chambers, and Arthur struggled to get his head back into the right place to deal with ten dignitaries disagreeing over boundary lines.

The wooden doors opened and Arthur strode inside. Merlin trailed closely behind him, taking his usual place against the wall behind him like a dutiful servant should. But Arthur could still _feel_ the distracted buzz radiating out from the dark haired man. It was even distracting him, enough so that he barely noticed that he wasn't the last person to arrive back. Three minutes after Arthur had settled (and halfway into a discussion with Princess Mithian about the welfare of Gedref) King Eadric sauntered in.

Strangely his knight and advisor, Sir Kilian, wasn't with him. The advisors weren't _required _to be there, but until now all the Kings and Queen Annis had been present alongside their advisor. Arthur certainly had both Guinevere and Sir Leon present for every discussion since it made it easier to ascertain that every decision was what was for the best of the kingdom. A second opinion made things easier to keep track of as well as to discuss later. But Kilian wasn't necessarily needed, and if Eadric had determined that he was happy to engage in the talks alone, that was no problem.

No doubt the Daobethan knight would simply join the other visiting knights in training, which was probably wise given that he was one of only two knights who had come to the talks as an advisor as well as a knight. It was nothing to worry about; Arthur was no doubt still just feeling off balance thanks to Gwaine and his new _pet_. Merlin's distraction certainly wasn't any help and he only hoped that he could get through the rest of the day's discussion in one piece.

He took a deep sip of wine, trying in vain to dispel any thoughts of rambunctious knights and abnormally intelligent cats. Instead he let the red liquid burn pleasantly against the back of his throat as he settled in for a long haul. Even though the ghost of two abnormally bright blue eyes still firmly refused to leave his mind.

* * *

Gwaine beamed as he walked through the corridors, angling back towards the training grounds. He wanted to see if he could rope Percival in on this, and if he could it would be _brilliant_. He had big plans, and they just got bigger as he walked through the corridors. It wouldn't be too hard to set up, a bit of rope and a decent hook... the hardest part would be getting their target into place given how wary the boy tended to be. But the end would be so worthwhile, especially now that Gwaine had his hands on a suitable cat. The cat in his arms squirmed, but didn't struggle too much when rewarded with a nice firm scratch behind the ears.

Actually, the cat was unusually tame, refusing to draw its claws no matter how hard it fidgeted. Most other cats Gwaine had come across wouldn't tolerate being held for so long, and were fierce with their claws. He'd prefer to go three rounds with a wilddeoren than deal with an irate cat. Nasty things they could be. But this one was being particularly good, and had an almost human look in its eyes. It seemed, at least, to know that it wasn't about to escape his firm hold, and didn't want to risk hurting him in the process of escaping.

Quite considerate, for a cat.

Gwaine absently petted the cat's ears, smiling when a deep rumbling emitted from the animal's small chest. The cat seemed to be settling down a bit, and the irritated flicking of its tail slowed to a steady contented sweeping motion. Gwaine continued petting as he wandered through the castle, the beast in his arms settling down contentedly into a drowsy half sleepy state. He smiled as he sifted the cat's small weight so the little animal was sitting in the crook of one arm. Blue eyes peeked tiredly at him, but a gentle rub under the chin settled the little critter back to sleep.

By the time Gwaine reached the training ground the cat was happily sleeping, apparently completely contented in his arms. He slowly sauntered over towards the smaller circle, where Percival was going through some of the movements in quiet seclusion. Percy preferred to spend some time practicing alone, but had never seemed to mind when Gwaine came along to watch. This time however he interrupted the man with a small cough, drawing the taller knight's attention over to him.

"You have a cat." Percival stated, digging his sword into the ground so he could scratch under the cat's black chin.

"You're the second person to say that." Gwaine commented. "And in exactly the same tone too. What is it about me that says I can't be around cats?"

Percival pointedly raised an eyebrow at him, and Gwaine had the grace to be the one to look away. He didn't exactly have the best history with animals of any kind, and there was a reason that most of the castle cats tended to avoid him. He couldn't help that they seemed much friendlier when he was drunk, and if maybe he was a bit too persistent in chasing them it wasn't really his fault. Little critters were fiercer than a blushing maiden in defending her honour. "Fine." He acknowledged. "But I have plans for our favourite not-squire."

"With a cat?" Percival pressed, and Gwaine smirked at him.

"It's perfect," Gwaine continued, his smirk widening. "Danny will walk right into it and won't suspect a thing. It's the perfect prank." Gwaine launched off, explaining the specifics while Percival added a few criticisms, and more additions. Percy was perfect for this since he didn't mind getting involved in a prank war, and was just as keen to give Danny a big Camelot welcome as Gwaine was after how well the boy had performed against him his first day in the city. Elyan was more timid when it came to pranking, and Leon was completely out of the question since it somehow offended his honour to even think about it. But Percy had never minded, and was apt to give just as well as he got.

Percival smiled, gently picking the cat up out of Gwaine's arms and moving it into his own. The cat stirred slightly, but settled back down with a contented purr as Percy rubbed the back of its ears. "Where'd you find this one, Gwaine?" Percival asked, seemingly content to rub the cat's chin. The man was a big softie, easily the cuddliest of all the knights. At least that was according to the children of Camelot, all of whom swarmed around the big lug whenever they went into the lower town. Something about the man just seemed to make them all feel safe and protected. But Gwaine didn't mind, Percy could have the affection of the children as much as he liked, the ladies of Camelot focused on him, and that was more to his taste.

"He was wandering around outside the guest chambers," Gwaine replied. "No doubt looking for something to eat up there."

Percival nodded, still patting the drowsy animal's black head. "Think we should find him something to eat before setting him on Danny?" The man suggested, and Gwaine nodded.

"Think we'll be able to snag something from the kitchens?" Gwaine asked, taking Percival's sword so the larger man could continue coddling the cat as they headed back towards the castle.

"If not there'll be something else around." Percival replied. "The little one here probably smelled some of the leftovers from all the guests' food."

The two headed in through a side entrance to the castle, heading towards the kitchens via Merlin's favourite route. Being friends with the kings manservant had some perks, one of which being that they knew the fastest route to the kitchens from anywhere in the castle. Gwaine sent another glance towards their passenger, still dozing happily in Percival's arms. It was probably warmer there; Percival didn't wear armour over his arms so the cat was in direct contact with the man's warm arms. Gwaine smiled at the docile cat, glad that it was being so obedient.

They reached the kitchens, and Gwaine knocked on the doors before pressing them open. It was busy inside, flaring with the heat of whatever the staff was cooking for tonight's dinner. Gwaine was about to ask one of the younger cooks for something suitable for the cat, but was interrupted by a loud clanging as an immense pot tumbled loudly to the floor.

The loud metallic clamour rang through the room, startling the cat awake. A loud meow emitted from the cat's chest, remarkably loud for such a small pair of lungs. The cat looked around wildly, blue eyes fearful as it was torn to awareness. Barely a moment passed before the little beast leapt out of Percival's arms, tearing rapidly around a corner before disappearing from sight. Gwaine chased after it, hot on its tail as the beast scampered away. But after the third corner all he could see was its tail, and by the fourth he'd completely lost track of the little white socked black cat.

Gwaine cursed under his breath, disappointed that the best part of their prank had gotten away on them. "Cat didn't hurt you, did he?" Gwaine asked when he felt Percival catch up to him.

"Nah, didn't draw a claw." Percival answered, offering him a smile and showing off his surprisingly unmarked arms.

"He was a good cat." Gwaine remarked, feeling deflated now that the little critter was gone.

"He'll turn up again." Percival assured. "It's only a matter of time."

Gwaine let out a tight sigh, regretting the fact that his prank had escaped right out from under him. The cat hadn't even made it to the performance, and it had been such a perfect cat too; docile enough to just give a startle and tame enough not to hurt anyone. You really couldn't work with animals. They should make a saying to that effect.

"Want to raid the kitchens anyway?" Percival offered, a knowing smile pulling at the taller knight's face.

"Why Sir Percival, it's as though you read my mind." Gwaine replied, allowing a smile to creep back onto his own face as the two headed straight back to the kitchen doors. He could always devise another prank for Danny, and there were always more cats in the castle. He wasn't one to let something like an escaping cat get him down, and instead he decided to slip into the kitchen and grab a mid-afternoon snack for Percival and himself.

The two walked away smiling, plotting other ways to ensnare Danny in a full out prank war, which was perfect because it meant Percival wouldn't be interested in playing pranks on _him_. Soon enough thoughts of the strangely intelligent blue eyed cat slipped out of his mind, replaced by plans to ruffle the younger boy's feathers.

Now all they needed to do was find Danny. But given that he was helping Merlin with his job, surely that wouldn't be that hard. After all, it wasn't like Danny could vanish just as assuredly as that strangely tame black cat had managed. Was it now?

* * *

AN; I'm back... sorta. Sorry for the wait. I got bogged down with Uni stuff, and then decided that I wanted to write something really fluffy before the drama really starts.

But here begins the strange dance where protagonists and antagonists slide around each other, catching up just enough to be left behind when the other twirls away.

Translation;  
Scimerian Bæl – Flickering Flames

Cheers,

Bluerose


	15. Wlæc Þēostrung

Chapter 14

Wlæc Þēostrung

Disclaimer: I do not own either Danny Phantom or Merlin

Gaius frowned, looking up from his mortar as he heard a strange noise at the chamber door. Carefully he set down the pestle he was working with and turned the burner down to a lower heat. The noise started again, sounding remarkably like something small was frantically scratching at the chamber door. Gaius slowly ambled over; being a physician in a place like Camelot had taught him that patients tended to do the strangest of things, and small children in particular were apt to make odd little noises at his door if they couldn't reach the door handle.

Cautiously he opened the door, opening it just a crack to see who his visitor was. He paused in confusion, noting the distinct emptiness of the hallway, but this was quickly pushed aside when a small black animal raced underfoot and across the chamber floor. Gaius blinked in momentary disconcertion before chasing after the little black tail that scampered up the small staircase to Merlin and Danny's room. From the gap in the door Gaius saw a flash of bright white light, and he sped up his movements to chase after the clearly magical invader that had just raided the room of Merlin and his young ward.

Pushing the door fully open he paused, taking in the sight. The little animal – a black cat – was decidedly absent, instead there was a very disoriented looking young boy panting desperately on the pallet beside Merlin's bed. The boy took in ragged breaths, dazed blue eyes unseeing as he looked towards the ceiling.

"Danny?" Gaius prodded as he stepped fully into the room. It was messy, as usual, with a number of work shirts strewn around. The boy himself sat atop his mattress, the sheets tangled beneath his body as the boy squirmed against the fabric.

"Just..." The raven head panted, his jaw moving strangely s though he couldn't shape the word "Just a moment."

Gaius raised a studious eyebrow, crossing his arms as he surveyed the boy. There didn't seem to be anything discernibly wrong with him physically, but the unfocused look in Danny's blue eyes told a different story.

"What happened?" Gaius pressed, ambling close enough to hand the boy a cup of water from the side table. Danny gratefully took it, holding the cup in trembling hands as he lifted it to his lips.

The boy let out a shaky sigh, looking into the bottom of the cup. "Thanks, Gaius." The boy mumbled, staring into the bottom of the cup as though it held the answers to the world.

"Can you explain why a black cat decided to tear through my chambers?" Gaius pressed. "Had there been anyone else here the guards could have been called."

"Merlin..." the boy began, biting his cheek in clear hesitancy. Gaius raised an eyebrow, silently urging the boy to talk. "Merlin decided to try an experiment. He thought that a cat would be less suspicious if it got caught in Eadric's chambers than a servant who didn't need to be there."

Gaius blinked, choosing momentarily to set aside Merlin's _experiment_. "Why were you in Eadric's chambers?" He asked, sending the boy a sternly disapproving look that had him shrinking back. Slightly.

"I know him." Danny replied, looking up at him with darkened blue eyes.

"Of course you know him." Gaius dismissed. "He has been in the castle all week and is one of the important visiting dignitaries. Merlin and the knights..."

"No, Gaius." The boy interrupted "I _know _him. His ghost anyway, from my time. I wasn't sure at first, people change when they die and he's had a thousand years, but every time I see him, the way he acts, it makes me even more certain. It's him." Gaius couldn't help the sinking feeling in his chest at the dark look on young Danny's face.

"And I take that he is not an idyllic persona in your time." Gaius sighed, taking a seat at the foot of Merlin's bed.

"Hardly." Danny snorted. "That's why Merlin wanted me to check things out. Since I don't know whether his obsession kicked in after he died, and Merlin wanted to know what his motivations were, he suggested I use this morning to look around while Eadric and Kilian were out."

"And did you find anything?" Gaius pressed.

Danny frowned. "Maybe. But I'd need to talk with Merlin first. He's the all knowledgeable warlock after all." The boy's tone was dry, and Gaius shook his head slightly as Danny's sudden levity effectively lightened the mood.

A small smile flickered to Gaius' lips. He still remembered the day a younger Merlin had traipsed into these very chambers, brimming with youthful self assurance and too much magic to hold onto. Briefly the image of Merlin's bright grin as the young warlock was handed his first book of magic flashed upon his eyes. "All knowledgeable indeed." Gaius murmured.

Gaius watched as Danny smiled and stood up, setting the cup carefully aside before offering a hand to help him off the bed. The two went back down to the main chambers, and Gaius set about explaining the latest preparation for the younger boy. Under his careful ministrations the boy fully calmed down; Gaius was glad that he hadn't heeded to resort to giving the boy a calming draught or something similar.

He frowned, concealing his concern as he looked across the workbench, watching the dark haired boy as Danny moved a flask off the burner. It had been years since he had truly studied magic. Even before the Purge he had been focusing more on medicine than on the more abstract of magical theory, but he remembered how dangerous animal transmutation was. It was a finicky branch of magic, difficult to perform correctly and disastrous if it went wrong. He had once watched as a young woman died, her heart transformed into a mouse's, but the magic insufficient for her body to make the rest of the shift. People could become permanently stuck in an in between state, half man and half animal. There were so many things that could go wrong that most sorcerers never even considered using the practice at all.

Of course, it was safer for the sorcerer to perform the magic on someone else, unless the sorcerer had both the will and concentration to maintain the magic even while they transformed. But it was still a risk even then. Gaius wasn't sure what to make of the fact that the two boys had been playing around with it. Merlin was outstandingly powerful, so he shouldn't have been surprised that the young man was _able_ to perform a complete animal transmutation. But he had hoped that what had happened to Guinevere the year before would have cautioned him away from the practice. Danny didn't seem to be suffering any ill effects... but the fact that the boy had reversed the spell himself left Gaius feeling unsettled.

Gaius let out a tense sigh, catching the boy's notice and eliciting a flicker of concern in his young blue eyes. He uttered a quiet dismissal, forestalling the boy's questioning. Any further discussion was abruptly interrupted as the chamber doors swung loudly open, allowing a brightly grinning Merlin to come in. As soon as his ward lay eyes on Danny he broke into peals of laughter to which Danny irritably crossed his arms. Gaius concealed a smile, quietly feigning disinterest as he watched the two boys interact.

"You should have seen your face!" Merlin exclaimed, gulping between laughing hiccups.

"A cat." Danny replied dryly.

"Oh it was brilliant. The look on your face when Arthur asked after you." Merlin prattled, apparently missing the look in the younger boy's eyes.

"A cat." Danny repeated deprecatingly.

"And then Gwaine started petting you... what was that like by the way?"

"A _cat,_ Merlin!" Danny interrupted. "Of all the things in the entire world you could have turned me into, it had to be a bloody cat!? What part of half-ghost do you not understand? If you'd asked I could have gone looking without anyone noticing, and then what happened with Gwaine and Arthur wouldn't have happened."

Apparently unfazed Merlin face split into a bright grin. "You liked it, didn't you?" He asked, blue eyes sparkling. Gaius shook his head, taking the draft Danny had forgotten away as the two boys took a seat at the table. "You know, if you like I can find a way to make that spell stick... I'm sure Gwaine wouldn't mind having a pet permanently."

Gaius only briefly caught a flash of green spark in Danny's eyes before a smirk pulled mischievously onto his face. There was a loud thud, and Merlin went crashing to the floor straight through the seat he had been sitting on. Gaius raised a reprimanding eyebrow, although his curiosity was piqued at the fact that both Merlin and the chair still appeared to be occupying the same space.

"How did you do that?" He found himself asking as a grumbling Merlin dusted himself off and got to his feet.

"What?" Danny asked, cocking his head sideways "Turn the chair intangible?"

Gaius nodded, moving over towards the table and cautiously waving his hand through the bench seat, meeting no resistance. "I had been led to believe that it was a non transferrable trait."

Danny blinked momentarily, turning his attention fully towards Gaius. "For weaker ghosts, spirits, yeah I'd agree with you. But most ghosts I know can do it without thinking, so long as we're in contact with it, it can be turned intangible."

"To what degree?" Gaius pressed, curiosity getting the better of him.

Danny just shrugged. "To whatever degree that we're capable of. There's limits, but for me it's more to do with how aware I am of my environment. In order to turn something intangible I have to... I don't know how to describe it... it's a ghost feeling... kinda like pins and needles, but it's not because it's like the thing momentarily is like an extra limb. That's the best way I can translate it, but that doesn't capture it at all."

"And it's off topic." Merlin interrupted. Gaius had to restrain a sigh, his curiosity unsated. "Did you find anything?"

"Sort of." Danny replied. "I think what's-his-name – Eadric's knight – has been in the room fairly often. For the most part the room looked like when they arrived, but there was a little silver box in the wardrobe with a lock of hair in it. And... you know how Gwaine walks around with a dragon scale on his necklace? There was one in the box, only the magic was stronger, like it was new. What can people do with a dragon scale?"

"I don't know." Merlin replied, a frown creasing his brow. "Gaius?"

Gaius pinched his lips in thought, trying to think of any use for dragon scales that could be relevant. "I would have to look." Gaius replied slowly, looking up at his bookcase. "Dragonlords were said to have used shed scales to increase the connection to their dragons, but knowledge of the Dragonlords and their abilities, as you know, was a secretive and oral tradition. There was a ritual, once, that required a dragon bone that was said to summon the great Dragon Spirit to a sorcerer, but that has been lost to antiquity. What I have read was only the most obscure reference, given several days I could perhaps find more but..."

"It's a start." Danny replied. "Thanks Gaius. Actually, I wish I'd had someone like you around when Plasmius was looking around for the skeleton key. I could have stopped that whole disaster before it even began."

"Someday you are going to have to explain all of your references, Danny." Gaius commented.

"But not today, because we're in the middle of a castle where such a story is likely to be interrupted, and Merlin and I have chores to do." Danny grinned. "In fact that reminds me..."

Gaius watched curiously as the young dark haired boy crossed the chamber to the medicine stores, picking up what looked like a tincture of skullcap and valerian, and a vial of maple seeds. "Mind if I borrow these?" the boy asked.

"Do I want to know?" Gaius retorted glibly, noting the distinctly mischievous look in the boy's eyes.

"Probably not. Thanks Gaius." Danny said, quickly burying the vials into his pockets before darting towards the door. "Coming, Merlin?" And then he was gone, light footsteps echoing down the hallway.

"You better follow him." Gaius urged, gesturing towards the door. He could imagine a couple of things that could be done with the raw materials and decided that he distinctly did not want to know what Danny had planned. Merlin nodded and followed the younger boy towards the chamber door. "Oh and Merlin." Gaius called, making his ward pause halfway through the door. "We will be talking about the fact you decided to play with crossing species boundaries with your ward."

Merlin paled slightly, visibly gulping before he nodded and disappeared, the door closing with a soft click behind him. Gaius just sighed tiredly, feeling in his bones that he was too old to be chasing after two young boys. Shaking his head he turned weary eyes towards the bookcase. Research was hardly about to do itself, and he doubted either of the boys had the patience for the task. He only hoped that somewhere amongst his texts he had useful information on the properties of dragon scales.

* * *

Gwen smiled tiredly as she looked across the table, briefly catching the eyes of her most trusted friends and family as they gathered in the room. They had all woken rather early, Arthur had been planning the surprise for the last day of the treaty talks, but the sudden insistence of a tournament had forced everything forward a bit. She, of course, didn't mind at all. She was still used to rising with the sun before getting straight to work, and a few months as Camelot's queen was hardly enough to change a lifetime of early morning habits.

In fact, probably the only one who would really have a problem with the disruption in schedule was the person who had disrupted it himself. Gwen stifled a laugh as muffled complaints echoed through the open doors, signalling the imminent arrival of her husband and his manservant. Shaking her head as she concealed a smile she stood up, shaping a knowing smile on her face as Arthur marched into the room. The man somehow managed to look surprised that everyone else was there already, despite the fact that he was easily half an hour late. Merlin, barely three feet behind him shuffled into the corner, the place he usually stood for any of the 'official' meetings of the court.

"_Mer_lin..." Arthur called, sending a dark look over to the servant as he stood loosely behind his own seat. "What do you think you're doing there?"

Merlin blinked twice in confusion as his eyes surveyed the table, his eyes obviously taking note of the seating arrangement and the people currently gathered in the room. Gwen smiled when he noticed the single empty seat, seeming to balk as he realised the inference.

"Yes, _Mer_lin." Arthur pressed smugly. "In this peculiar instance, even you could not fail to notice what is expected of you. Now _sit_." Gwen sent a knowing look towards Leon and received a half smile in return. Even after so many years Arthur still used Merlin as a way to quell his own anxiety and, surprisingly, Merlin still managed to suffer it with good humour. Merlin meekly sat into his seat, but there was a hint of a smirk dancing behind his brilliant blue eyes.

"Three years ago" Arthur began, and Gwen immediately turned her full attention to her blonde haired husband. Arthur's eyes roved the table, making brief contact with everyone in acknowledgement and acceptance. "An internal threat drove us out of our fair kingdom. In this retreat we saw, I feared, Camelot's darkest day."

Arthur bowed his head, a movement Gwen followed instinctively as she recalled the horrors of Morgana's first takeover. The woman who had once been her closest friend had always had a vindictive streak, but that had been overwhelmed by her kindness and sense of compassion. However Morgana had changed, and seeing her then, the ice cold cruelty in her eyes as she commanded her _soldiers_ to shoot into a crowd of innocents, it had shattered any illusions about the woman's true nature. Magic had destroyed her; if nothing else Gwen was sure of that. And even still Gwen mourned the 'death' of the woman who had once been her friend, the Morgana who had been lost as soon as she delved into the seductive lure of practicing magic.

"However," Arthur continued, his voice picking up the vigour that Gwen had come to adore and breaking her away from her own saddened recollections "in the Castle of the Ancient Kings I saw a change. I saw hope and steadfast loyalty not just for myself as a prince, but for this kingdom and for all she represents. Around that table we were not a prince and his knights, we were equals. And these peace talks, now, are to promote the unity and peace we have striven for in Camelot across all Albion, because I truly believe that together we can bring about a brighter future for all. From that dark day we have brought Camelot to her greatest strength, and with everything you do it becomes more and more clear that those Ancient Kings held wisdom. A King cannot be so without his people, and it is the council of all those here now that has truly brought about Camelot's bright future."

Arthur paused, briefly meeting the eyes of all his knights before turning his gaze to Gwen. She smiled, feeling her heart surge with warm pride at the enthusiasm and courage that sparkled out of his blue eyes. "I would like to thank each and every one of you for all you have done, and although there have been many great sacrifices along the way I can only offer my deepest gratitude to each of you for staying by my side all this time. In honour of this I believe it is time to re-kindle an old tradition; many of the citizens of Camelot have been calling you the 'first circle' knights, and while this is true your position is far greater than this expresses.

"Gwen, my Love, you are the light of my life. You are the reason I can wake in the morning happy, just knowing that you are there and you are safe. Your happiness means the world to me, and I can only hope that, despite everything, you can still find it in your heart to find happiness in me and in Camelot." Gwen's heart fluttered as she felt the prickling of tears in her eyes. Beneath the table she reached for Arthur's hand, grasping it in hers and pressing it in a tight squeeze. Now wasn't the time, she was a Queen now and had to act with at least a modicum of decorum. But moments like this still caught her unaware and made her feel very much the blushing, babbling serving girl she had once been.

Arthur smiled at her before turning to face the next knight in the circle. "Elyan, you are my wife's only living relative, but you are so much more. You are a brother to me, and your kind spirit and humility is an inspiration to all here. Thank you." Gwen felt her brother smile and nod at the young king beside her.

"Percival, without your steadfast defence I can hardly believe Camelot would be the same. The people look up to you as their protector, and through you this last year has seen a great revolution in the relationship between the people of the lower town and the nobles in the castle. I am grateful for all you have done.

"Gwaine," Arthur paused, letting out a soft smile and shaking his head slightly "it is you that seems to pull things together. I won't deny that many times it is through your own unique brand of humour, but nevertheless you are the strength that, without which, I know that I could have not seen the successes I have within Camelot. Although I will ask if you please try to refrain from letting it go to your head."

"Nah, we'll leave that to you, 'eh Princess." Gwaine interrupted with a half laugh and a smile on his face, although there was a barely noticeable strained look in his eyes that seemed to disappear almost as quickly as it had appeared. Gwen smiled herself, ducking her head slightly to preventing herself from joining in with the other knights' guffaws.

Arthur smiled once more before turning to face Leon, dipping his head in warm acknowledgement. "Leon you have been by my side from the beginning. Your loyalty and honour has been the pillar that holds two eras together. You are one of my closest friends, my First Knight. And I know that it is you that has been able to so easily bring together both my father's knights and my own, creating the strength of Camelot's army and the united front we have today. Words cannot express my gratitude for all you have done, nor is there any honour high enough to befit all your efforts on my behalf. Thank you, my brother."

Gwen watched Leon, seeing the bright sparkle that lit the man's eyes. Gwen remembered the young man's excitement, so many years ago when her mother had been serving Leon's family, when the young boy had been accepted as a page for the Knights of Camelot; all this time later she could still see that light shine through, his loyalty to Camelot and to its King, and the friendship he had harboured with Arthur as a fellow knight. A smile pulled at her lips as she met eyes with the loyal knight, sharing a knowing smile as Arthur turned his attention to the next person at the table.

"Gaius, in many ways you have been like a father to me, and your support this past year has been unwavering despite my own inadequacies. I am not a perfect king, I know this, but I am glad to have your knowledge and wisdom as council. Since my father died so much has changed, Camelot is already a far different kingdom than it was in his time and I only hope I can live up to his great mantle. I am eternally grateful to you, Gaius, for helping me find a balance between new and necessary changes, and the traditions that have held this kingdom together for centuries. Thank you."

Gwen smiled at the high praise offered to the silver haired physician. It was what truly set Arthur apart from other kings, from Uther even. Arthur truly cared for all his people, and never once took them for granted. Well, when it mattered at least. Gaius had been loyal to the kingdom since before any of them were born, but it took a man like Arthur to give the kindly man the appreciation he deserved. There was a brief rustling, and Gwen sent a confused look over at Gwaine who seemed to be struggling to stay still. The man gulped, and Gwen calmed herself as Arthur turned his attention to the final seat of the table.

"Merlin, well..." Arthur paused, and Gwen could see the strange glimmer in his eyes that the man often got when talking about his long time friend. "You've been awful, absolutely horrible. But I couldn't imagine anyone else standing by my side." Merlin smiled in reply and nodded, somehow understanding the unspoken words better than even Gwen could.

"Three years ago," Arthur pressed on, regaining his composure as he addressed the group as a whole "we gathered around one table, a group of equals fighting for a common cause. It is my great hope that today we can bring about a new era here in Camelot. For gathered here, I see more than knights and servants to the kingdom, I see a brotherhood united in deeds and ideals and in blood. Each of you, in your own way, has brought something vital into Camelot, and it is in this chamber, around this table that I believe we can form a new council; a council of equals where no one man's voice is louder than any other's."

Gwen felt something warm rise in her chest, the same feeling of something monumental that she had last seen when her husband pulled his sword from a stone before reclaiming Camelot from a tyrant queen. Her eyes roved briefly around the table, seeing the same glimmer in seven other sets of eyes. A brief frown crossed her lips as she looked at Gwaine, who appeared to be squirming uncomfortably in his chainmail, but the moment passed as Arthur spoke again.

"Now I would like to begin a new tradition," The impassioned voice of Camelot's king spoke. "Now I would like to bring about a new age in Camelot. Now I would like to welcome you all to the Brotherhood of the Round Table."

There was a breath of silence, heavily weighted by an age of anticipation. Deep within her Gwen felt a sense of _rightness _stirring; as though all her life had been waiting until this exact moment. For a brief moment she felt infinity stretching out before her, this monumental shift awakening something that she had never felt before. And for a brief moment it was though every single person at the table caught that strange glimmer that always shone through Merlin's eyes.

For a moment she could see the land; all of Camelot stretching out before her, flourishing and growing happily.

For a moment she felt her people; the blood of thousands pumping through her veins and every single person united in peace and jubilation.

For a moment she breathed in time; an eternity stretching before her, millennium defined within a single moment that existed for her right now.

For a moment she breathed out, and all the burdens and worries seemed to slip away in the sense of rightness and unity that was encompassed in those five words.

_Brotherhood of the Round Table_

A smile graced her lips as the moment passed, that sublime glimmer slipping away from six sets of eyes, leaving only a raven-haired young man whose bright blue eyes glittered with absolute pride. And for a moment Gwen wondered if that was how Merlin always felt, before dismissing it as silly. But something had shifted, and the Camelot she was in now felt fundamentally different, _brighter_ than the one she had woken in even this morning.

She felt like she was standing at the precipice of a new age.

And she couldn't be more ready for it.

* * *

AN: Okay, so I won't apologise for taking so long... except for the fact that I'm sorry for making you wait so long. Which I know is circular, so the non-logician in me is happy.

Seriously though, thanks so much for your patience, I... haven's been particularly inspired lately what with... stuff. Plus uni work has been rather demanding and (for those of you interested in JAMF) I've been working on another story... sorta in the preliminary stages.

I know this is short, but this was a good place to end it and with any luck I'll have the next bit finished sooner this way.

Translation;  
Wlæc Þēostrung – Cool Twilight

Adieu,

Bluerose


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